Giants 1, Reds 0

A good 'ol pitcher's duel tonight in Cincinnati. After scoring 18 runs in their previous two games, the Giants tonight looked...well, like their usual selves, spraying bloop singles into the outfield. Bronson Arroyo pitched very well tonight, scattering nine hits over eight innings. He kept all of the Giants' hitters off balance except for Nate Schierholtz, who proved once again that he deserves and needs to be in the lineup every day. Schierholtz was the only Giant to drive the ball against Arroyo, and on a team comprised of singles-hitters, Schierholtz must be in the lineup every game because of his ability to find the gaps in the outfield.

You gotta feel bad for Barry Zito; he really is this year what Matt Cain was last year. Zito pitched brilliantly tonight, allowing only three baserunners in 6 innings while striking out four and walking only one. Although he ordinarily would have stayed in the game, Bruce Bochy made the right call taking Zito out in favor of Fred Lewis with two runners in scoring position. He deserved to get a win tonight, but as has been the case all season, he fell victim to the worst run support in the National League among starting pitchers (2.92 runs per 9 innings). He showed flashes of his 2002 Cy-Young winning form tonight as he was able to locate his curveball all over the strike zone and plant his fastball consistently on the inside corner against the Reds' right-handed-heavy lineup. Yes, Zito is never going to live up to his massive contract, but with the exception of a couple of clunkers (1 against the Angels, 1 against the Padres), he's pitched extremely well this year. Frankly, I'm getting tired of the anti-Zito banter on KNBR. His 2.36 ERA since the All-Star break is better than those of Lincecum and Cain, and he's part of the reason why the Giants' starting pitching staff boasts the best ERA in all of baseball (3.50).

Another stellar performance tonight from the bullpen, as they threw three perfect innings. The bullpen hit a bump in the road a couple of weeks ago, but it looks like they've overcome it. It's great to see Sergio Romo and Jeremy Affeldt back in their 1st-half form. With the way Romo, Affeldt, and Wilson are throwing the ball now, if the Giants have a lead after six or seven innings, game over.

The Giants haven't swept a series on the road all season. Let's hope they change that tomorrow.