The San Francisco Giants return to the Bay Area for their home opener today against the St. Louis Cardinals. After starting the season by taking two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants will rally around starting pitcher Barry Zito as they look for their third win in a row.
Brandon Belt has missed the last two games with a stomach bug, but will make his return to the lineup today. Although Belt made his season debut on Monday, manager Bruce Bochy was quick to admit he should have never played, calling him "pretty washed out."
The Giants will feature what many consider to be their best overall lineup today. It is as follows:
- Pagan-CF
- Scutaro-2B
- Sandoval-3B
- Posey-C
- Pence-RF
- Belt-1B
- Blanco-LF
- Crawford-SS
- Zito-P
Barry Zito takes the hill for his first start in 2013. After a torrid run at the end of last year, and a solid spring training, Zito will attempt to keep those good vibes coming. The Giants won Zito's last 14 starts of 2012 including playoffs; a span in which Zito himself went 9-0.
San Francisco is hoping this new and improved Barry Zito continues to have success throughout 2013 rather then reverting to the pitcher who lost 57 starts in his first four years with the club. Per the Sacramento Bee, Tim Lincecum had the following to say about Zito:
"Barry really worked hard to get back to what he wants to be and where he wants to be. He's earned a lot of respect from obviously the fans and players alike. So with that it'll be exciting to see it."
When Zito was asked what kind of reception he's expecting from the fans, he said:
"I'm not expecting them to react in a certain way. The fans have treated me really well in the last year. There's only been a few that have kind of been callous over the years. The majority of them have always been good to me, so I'm just expecting the fans to come out and have a great time, really enjoy the festivities. I've got to focus on my work. If I can do that, they'll be happy."
Making the start for the Cardinals is 35-year-old righty Jake Westbrook. Westbrook is coming off a 13-win season with a 3.97 ERA; arguably his best year since 2004.
Matchups to watch for:
According to ESPN, Westbrook has not fared well against many of the Giants' hitters in the past. Here are a few career statistics to keep an eye out for:
- Brandon Belt: 2-5, 2B
- Angel Pagan: 4-11, HR, RBI, 2 BB
- Hunter Pence: 7-17, 2B, RBI, 3 BB
- Buster Posey: 3-8, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
- Pablo Sandoval: 2-6, HR, RBI
First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.
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