Look at the box scores from the first few days of this season, and you'll see some seriously crooked numbers in the pitching lines of some big name hurlers. Case in point:
- Curt Schilling: Schilling's ERA on the season stands at a gaudy 11.25 after an ugly 7-1 loss to the Royals on opening day. That's probably not the way Schilling planned to start his drive for a new contract.
- Barry Zito: Zito's first start as the San Francisco Giants' $126 million man failed to impress; he allowed three runs in five innings, one on a walk with the bases loaded, before being yanked for a pinch hitter.
- Carlos Zambrano: Zambrano did little to enhance his bargaining position on opening day. Reportedly just days away from a fat contract extension, he served up two gopher balls to the Reds' Adam Dunn in a 5-1 loss to Cincinnati.
The pitcher with the worst opener may have been Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter. Carpenter struggled with his location for the entire game, giving up five runs to the Mets in a 6-1 loss. He later revealed that he was dealing with elbow trouble during the game, and he'll miss at least one start. (At this point, he's expected to return to the Cards' rotation for Tuesday's game in Pittsburgh.)
Originally published at About Baseball
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