Barry Zito was dazzling in his victory over the Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLCS on Friday, scattering six hits and a walk over 7 2/3 scoreless innings. In what has to be considered the most unexpectedly dominant performance of the postseason, Zito delivered his finest performance as a member of the Giants at a time when they needed him the most, facing possible elimination. He was brilliant the entire evening, racking up six strikeouts and tossing 73 of his 115 pitches for strikes. The 34-year-old left-hander now owns an improbable 1.74 ERA and 10/5 K/BB ratio through 10 1/3 innings in the postseason. Should the Giants battle back and advance to the World Series to take on the Tigers, Zito has certainly earned the right to start one of the first two games.