| SEASON | CAREER |
| W12 | 44 |
| L5 | 27 |
| G23 | 100 |
| IP132.2 | 593.0 |
| BB56 | 204 |
| SO119 | 550 |
| SEASON | CAREER |
| W9 | 154 |
| L8 | 132 |
| G24 | 392 |
| IP138.1 | 2390.0 |
| BB58 | 992 |
| SO79 | 1762 |
Though the Atlanta Braves have enjoyed some recent success in San Francisco, they understand their key four-game series against the surging Giants won't be an easy one.
While the Braves try for a fifth consecutive win at AT&T Park, Barry Zito looks to continue his career success against them and help the NL West-leading Giants to a fourth straight victory overall Thursday night.
Atlanta (71-53) is atop the NL wild-card standings, but needed a 5-1 win Wednesday at East-leading Washington to snap a four-game skid. The victory could provide a huge boost for the Braves, who head to San Francisco, where the Giants return after sweeping Los Angeles to complete a 5-1 trip and take a 2 1/2-game lead in the West.
"I think if we were heading out to the Left Coast having lost five in a row, there's always that little check in your spirit in the back of your mind," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "This win allows us to take a deep breath and hopefully build some momentum going out West."Though the Braves were outscored 20-7 while dropping two of three at home to the Giants (69-55) from July 17-19, they swept a three-game set at San Francisco last year after winning Game 2 of the NL division series there in 2010. Right fielder Jason Heyward , 7 for 14 with a homer and three RBIs at Washington, went 7 for 12 with a home run and four RBIs at AT&T Park in 2011.
Heyward, however, is 0 for 6 and Jones is 2 for 12 against Zito (9-8, 4.42 ERA), who is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in six starts versus Atlanta. The left-hander allowed three hits in seven innings of a 9-0 win at Turner Field on July 17.
Zito, though, will make his first appearance against the Braves at AT&T Park, where he is 0-3 with a 6.86 ERA in four starts since beating the Dodgers on June 25. His latest outing came at San Diego on Saturday when he gave up four runs in four innings of an 8-7 win.
Manager Bruce Bochy , however, has been happy with Zito, and is confident based on the veteran's track record against the Braves.
"He's tough. I mean mentally tough," Bochy told the Giants' official website after Zito's start at Atlanta last month. "He's done a great job for us."
Joaquin Arias had three hits and five RBIs in San Francisco's 8-4 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday.
"We came here with the mindset we needed to win," said third baseman Pablo Sandoval , who had two RBIs. "(There are) a lot of games coming up so we need to keep fighting."Arias is 9 for 16 with two homers and eight RBIs in his last five games.
It's uncertain if All-Star catcher Buster Posey will be in the lineup after he was scratched Wednesday with tightness in his right hamstring. Posey is 1 for 11 in his last three games but 7 for 12 with three doubles and six RBIs against the Braves in 2012.
He's just 1 for 7 against scheduled starter Tommy Hanson (12-5, 4.27), who allowed three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Dodgers on Friday in his first start since missing more than two weeks with a lower back strain.
"I was happy with how I threw, but I know I can throw better," the right-hander told the Braves' official website.
Hanson, who has gone 3-0 in his last six starts despite a 6.00 ERA, is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in four starts - including the postseason - against the Giants.
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AVG
HRRUNSSBSOBBOBPSLGOPS
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Michael Bourn | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Matt Diaz | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
| Tommy Hanson | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Jason Heyward | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Eric Hinske | 8 | .125 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .222 | .347 | .125 |
| Chipper Jones | 9 | .222 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .222 | .889 | .667 |
| Brian McCann | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .167 | .500 | .333 |
| Martin Prado | 4 | .250 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .500 | .750 | .250 |
| David Ross | 4 | .250 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .400 | .650 | .250 |
| Dan Uggla | 20 | .300 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .333 | .883 | .550 |
| Jack Wilson | 2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
VS.
| HITTERS | AB | AVG | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | OBP | OPS | SLG |
| Melky Cabrera | 2 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 1.667 | 1.000 |
| Aubrey Huff | 7 | .143 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .333 | .476 | .143 |
| Angel Pagan | 9 | .222 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .300 | .522 | .222 |
| Buster Posey | 6 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Pablo Sandoval | 10 | .100 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .100 | .300 | .200 |
| Nate Schierholtz | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Ryan Theriot | 6 | .167 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .334 | .167 |
| Ryan Vogelsong | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Barry Zito | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
 Atlanta Braves |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 10, 2012 | Chipper Jones | Day-to-Day | Back tightness |
| August 01, 2012 | Jair Jurrjens | 15-Day DL | Strained right groin |
| July 31, 2012 | Tommy Hanson | 15-Day DL | Lower back strain |
| July 31, 2012 | Tommy Hanson | 15-Day DL | Lower back strain |
| July 20, 2012 | Matt Diaz | 15-Day DL | Right thumb surgery - out for season |
| July 14, 2012 | Jack Wilson | 15-Day DL | Dislocated right pinkie finger |
 San Francisco Giants |
|||
| Date | Player | Status | Injury |
| August 22, 2012 | Buster Posey | Day-to-Day | Hamstring tightness |
| August 14, 2012 | Brad Penny | 15-Day DL | Right shoulder impingement |
| August 07, 2012 | Shane Loux | 15-Day DL | Recurring neck strain |
| July 31, 2012 | Aubrey Huff | 15-Day DL | Strained right knee |
| July 25, 2012 | Pablo Sandoval | 15-Day DL | Strained left hamstring |
| July 25, 2012 | Pablo Sandoval | 15-Day DL | Strained left hamstring |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The chants of "Barry! Barry! Barry!" felt familiar. The reason sure was different.
At least for one night, Barry Zito was king in San Francisco.
Zito took a three-hit shutout into the ninth inning, Hector Sanchez 's two-run double highlighted a four-run fifth and the Giants rolled past the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Thursday night for their fourth straight win.
About the only mistake Zito made was insisting he felt fine to finish the game. After allowing consecutive singles to open the ninth, he had just two words for Giants manager Bruce Bochy when he came out to take the ball.
"He said, `I'm sorry,"' Bochy recalled. "He felt horrible."
For the first 24 outs, he sure looked sharp.
Fresh off a sweep at the rival Los Angeles Dodgers , the NL West leaders stayed hot on a chilly and fog-filled night along the bay. Zito (10-8) allowed five hits, struck out five and walked three before Freddie Freeman 's two-run double off reliever Jeremy Affeldt broke up the shutout.
With two runners on, Sergio Romo - the third reliever of the inning - got pinch-hitters Jason Heyward and Juan Francisco to ground out for his sixth save.
"It feels good to help the team," said Zito, left off the postseason roster during San Francisco's championship run two years ago. "We had a great road trip and we had a difficult homestand last time. So it was big momentum-wise to come out here and help the team."
Hunter Pence , Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval each drove in a run to chase Atlanta starter Tommy Hanson (12-6) after 4 1-3 innings. Hanson gave up five hits and five runs while striking out four and walking three.
San Francisco has won nine of 12 to take a three-game lead over the Dodgers in the division.
"I don't feel like I went out there and got lit up," Hanson said. "It wasn't like they were hitting lasers all over the place. It was just a tough one."
Angel Pagan extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the first. He walked in the third, stole his 21st base and slid home on Sandoval's two-out blooper to left to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.
Pagan also walked leading off the fifth and Marco Scutaro singled to put runners on the corners. After Sandoval struck out, Pence pushed a bunt for an RBI single past Hanson to spark San Francisco's surge.
"I was as surprised as anybody," Bochy said.
Belt's hard grounder skipped off Freeman's glove at first for a two-base error, and Sanchez followed with a two-run double to push the Giants ahead 5-0.
More than enough for Zito on this night.
The high-priced lefty, often the sore in San Francisco's rotation, had hitters chasing his slow-moving breaking balls all over the strike zone - and out of it, too. Zito also helped himself by fielding Hanson's comebacker cleanly with two runners on in the second and picking off Dan Uggla at first base in the fourth.
"He's left-handed and he frustrates us," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He throws that fastball just above the strike zone and spins the curve. We did not have a good approach against him early. We weren't very good. I don't know if it was Barry being dominant or us not being good. He's deceptive and he can be frustrating with that curve and change."
Fans chanted "Barry! Barry! Barry!" - usually reserved for home run king Barry Bonds - when Zito was announced at the plate with one out in the eighth. After he dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Brandon Crawford to second, the crowd gave him a standing ovation jogging back to the dugout.
Martin Prado and Chipper Jones singled leading off the ninth to dash Zito's shot at a complete game. Freeman hit a two-run double off Affeldt for Atlanta's only runs, and Uggla walked. Javier Lopez - San Francisco's third lefty - struck out Brian McCann before Romo, a righty, came on to end it.
Zito, the 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner with Oakland, last pitched a complete game in his first start of the season at Colorado on April 8, when he allowed four hits in a 7-0 win.
NOTES: Giants All-Star C Buster Posey sat out for the second straight game because of tightness in his right hamstring. Asked if he would play Friday, Posey said, "I don't see any reason why not." ... Heyward was not in the starting lineup with fellow left-hander Zito starting. ... The Giants honored retiring Braves 3B Chipper Jones with a video montage before the game. He received a standing ovation from fans and tipped his hat to the crowd from the dugout's top step. ... Giants RHP Ryan Vogelsong (10-7, 2.85 ERA) starts opposite Braves RHP Ben Sheets (4-3, 3.07 ERA) on Friday.
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Follow Antonio Gonzalez at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP
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Atlanta Braves
