While Barry Zito didn’t participate in San Francisco ‘s 10 inning, 3-2 win in Philly Saturday, the Chronicle’s Bruce Jenkins has a rather grim diagnosis for the lefty’s near-term future. I don’t agree with everything Jenkins wrote, by the way, but he deserves massive respect for being classy enough to do so without referring to Zito’s contract as “Mike Hamptoneque”.

Having seen Barry Zito in two of his favorite comfort zones – jamming on guitar and gazing at a pristine surf break – I can’t help but lament his choice of teams. There’s a lot to like about the revitalized Giants, but last year, in the cauldron of Barry Bonds-related gloom, took the fun out of the game for Zito. He did his best to worship at the Bonds shrine, but he knew he was kidding himself. With the team sinking into oblivion, life at the ballpark became an eternal bummer. Now the team has it together, but Zito – aside from the obvious physical problems – still can’t get his mind right … It’s a mistake for the Giants to say Zito will miss “just one or two starts” or put any timetable on his return. He has lost the fans’ trust, and to an extent, that of his teammates. If he comes back soon, with the same act, it’s a massive setback for the organization. Give him at least a month to settle down.

On the overachieving side of the coin, even Cliff Lee can’t explain why Mark Hendrickson is 5-0.