Barry Zito lost some weight in an effort to pitch up to his contract:

"Last year, it was such a heightened sense of everything because of all the craziness going on. This year, it's more like business as usual," he said. "Last year, I felt I was singled out. I didn't feel the same as all of my teammates because there was a microscope on me. Even if there still is, I'm not perceiving it that way anymore. It's all good now."

Many people still view Zito as a $126 million bust after 2007. He prefers to focus on his final nine starts, in which he knocked .60 off his ERA. That was no coincidence, Zito said. Starting with his Aug. 17 start at Florida (one hit over seven innings), he said he pitched with a freer mind.

Actually, Zito had four very great starts in a row, then trailed off a bit, but finished on a high note in his last outing. The Giants, however, will take all those nine-game stretches they can get.