Zito fires his first shutout since 2003

Baseball experts? There are none. Not anymore. Not after what Barry Zito did Monday.

Nobody is expert enough to have imagined that.

After Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain stunk it up in three consecutive losses in Arizona, Zito took the mound in Colorado and not only pitched better than the top three, but he pitched downright amazingly.

Zito earned his first shutout since 2003 -- four years before he signed the $126 million contract that the Giants and their fans regretted. The Giants won 7-0, and who could have possible picked Zito throwing the Giants' first shutout in the office pool?

He fired a four-hitter, striking out four without walking a batter. How fulfilling was that for a guy who has taken a lot of abuse for failing so often and getting paid so much?

"It was really satisfying -- it was a tough spring," said Zito, who tried a new delivery and then scrapped it. He gave up 10 runs in his final two Cactus League starts, covering 5 1/3 innings.

In Zito's previous shutout, his catcher was Ramon Hernandez, who caught for the Rockies on Monday. Hernandez's double was the only extra-base hit off Zito.