Giants complete worst season in 11 years (AP)
Zito (11-13), who signed a seven-year, $126 million contract last winter, had a disappointing first season with the Giants. But he was on his game in the finale, retiring 18 of the first 20 Los Angeles batters while his teammates built a 9-0 lead.
Zito allowed five hits including three singles by Matt Kemp and a two-run homer by pinch hitter Delwyn Young. The 29-year-old left-hander walked none, struck out four and finished with a 4.53 ERA.
The Dodgers (82-80) and Giants (71-91) brought up the rear in the NL West for just the second time since divisional play began in 1969. Los Angeles was in contention for a postseason berth until losing 11 of its last 14 games.
Barry Bonds, dressed in street clothes, declined to speak with reporters before the game, and indicated he wouldn’t be hanging around long during it. The 43-year-old Bonds, baseball’s single-season and career home run leader, played his final game in a Giants’ uniform Wednesday in San Francisco.
Pedro Feliz had four hits and two RBIs and rookie Nate Schierholtz added three hits for the Giants, who finished with their worst record since 1996, when they went 68-94.
The Giants took a 1-0 lead off Eric Stults (1-4) in the first on Randy Winn’s RBI double. The hit raised Winn’s average to .300, and he was replaced in left field in the bottom of the inning.
The Giants blew the game open by scoring five runs in the fourth on an RBI single by Guillermo Rodriguez, a two-run homer by Vizquel, his fourth of the season, a throwing error by catcher Russell Martin and Feliz’s run-scoring single.
Stults, making his fifth big-league start, allowed 11 hits and six runs in four innings.
Kevin Frandsen hit a two-run homer and Schierholtz added an RBI single off D.J. Houlton in the sixth to make it 9-0.
Young’s second big league homer, which landed halfway up the left field pavilion, came one out after Kemp started the seventh with his third single.
Pinch hitter Eugenio Velez hit a two-run triple off Jonathan Meloan in the ninth for his first career RBIs to make it 11-2.
Notes:@ The game was played before an announced crowd of 49,211 on Fan Appreciation Day, lifting the season attendance at Dodger Stadium to a franchise-record 3,857,036. … While expressing his disappointment that the Dodgers failed to qualify for the playoffs, owner Frank McCourt confirmed that general manager Ned Colletti and manager Grady Little will return next season. Both are under contract. … The 40-year-old Vizquel has 77 homers in 9,479 career at-bats. Vizquel, who ranks second in baseball history with 2,570 career games played at shortstop, said he hopes to return to the Giants next season. He has won 11 Gold Gloves — second only to Ozzie Smith’s 13 at his position. … Dodgers OF Juan Pierre, who had a team-leading 196 hits, played in 162 games for the fifth straight year. His consecutive-game streak of 434 is the longest among active players.
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