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CHC@SF: Zito shuts out Cubs over 8 1/3 stellar frames

In the first game of this series, the Giants' Madison Bumgarner struck out 12 and shut down the Astros' bats. In the second game, Matt Cain pitched a dazzling perfect game, the first in Giants' history.

If Barry Zito, San Francisco's starter on Thursday, can come close to replicating either of those performances, the Giants will sweep the Astros and end their homestand with nothing to complain about.

The first pitch will be thrown approximately 15 hours after Cain finished the 22nd perfect game in Major League history. Zito, who refined his mental approach in the offseason, likely won't worry about Cain's performance as he prepares for Thursday's start.

Over the winter, Zito decided to face pitching like a series of small challenges instead of worrying about how the entire outing is going.

"For me, things are a lot more manageable when I can boil them down to simple tasks that I can repeat," Zito said. "And that has nothing to do with results."

Zito hasn't relied on the strikeout in 2012, but the Astros have swung and missed quite often in the first two games of the series. Bumgarner struck out 12, and Cain fanned 14.

The Astros will look to bounce back on Thursday behind ace Wandy Rodriguez, who hasn't been sharp in his last three starts. In 15 1/3 innings, he gave up 14 earned runs, and he hasn't made it through the sixth inning in any of those last three outings after making it through the sixth in 10 of his first 11.

His 3.27 ERA is the highest it's been all season.

Giants: Homerless drought well in the past
After going 16 straight games without a homer at AT&T Park, the Giants hit five in their first two games against the Astros.

Bumgarner and Brandon Belt homered on Tuesday, and Melky Cabrera, Gregor Blanco and Belt went yard on Wednesday.

The Giants have hit at least two homers in a home game only three times this season. After entering the series with just six home runs in 32 home games, the Giants now have 11 in 34 contests at AT&T Park.

Astros: Lee likely to rehab at Frisco
Outfielder Carlos Lee will likely begin a rehab stint with Double-A Corpus Christi on Thursday or Friday, and since the Hooks play in Frisco and the Astros play the Rangers in Arlington, Lee could stay at the Astros' team hotel.

Manager Brad Mills said that Lee could be activated as early as Sunday.

"If he runs today and feels good, we'll send him out to start rehabbing for two or three days and see how he feels and go from there," Mills said.

Lee has been on the disabled list since June 2 with a strained hamstring. There is a possibility that Lee could rehab with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Worth noting
• The Giants have the best record in the Majors, 14-6, when facing a left-handed starter.

• With Wednesday's loss, the Astros' season series record falls to 6-15-0.

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