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SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Zito has known for months he would be leaving the Giants after seven up-and-down years in San Francisco. Nick Foles Jersey . The sides formally parted ways Saturday, when the Giants declined to exercise Zitos $18 million contract option for next season and instead owe the left-hander a $7 million buyout. Also Saturday, San Francisco declined its $3 million mutual option for outfielder Andres Torres and must pay him a $500,000 buyout. The biggest decision still facing general manager Brian Sabean and assistant GM Bobby Evans is due by Monday: Whether to exercise right-hander Ryan Vogelsongs $6.5 million club option that includes a $300,000 buyout. Because the 35-year-old Zito realized this moment was coming, he recently took out a full-page newspaper ad to thank the fans for standing by him through a tough tenure on this side of San Francisco Bay. The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner across the water for the Oakland Athletics, Zito just completed a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Giants. Zito pitched Game 5 of the NL championship series at St. Louis last year with his team facing elimination as the Giants rallied to win the series in seven games, then won Game 1 in a surprising World Series sweep of the Tigers — after he was left off the post-season roster for all three rounds in 2010. Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy each has credited Zito for his work to find his rhythm again despite the struggles, not to mention his class during difficult situations on and off the field. Both of his parents died in recent years, including his father, Joe, this past season. "On the field and off the field, a lot of things happened in these years," Zito said. "I got married and became a Christian, lost both my parents. Just so much. And on the field, obviously had some lows there for a while and also this year, and then the World Series in 2012 for me was such an incredible experience. Im so grateful I got to experience that and be a part of it and help bring it home for San Francisco. The way it worked, Zito was replaced in his final start and didnt get a curtain call or chance to tip his cap to the crowd at AT&T Park on Sept. 25. "Theres not a lot of chance for closure, I think, in sports," he said. "Guys sign contracts, they come to cities, theyre kind of like the citys own. And theres never really goodbyes. But thats National League baseball. Youve got to pinch hit." Zito had a 63-80 record with a 4.62 ERA in 197 starts and 208 appearances for the Giants. His buyout is payable in installments with 1 per cent interest each Jan. 15 from 2014 through 2020. "Theres lots of stuff that he could complain about. Ive never heard him say a negative word about anything," fellow lefty starter Madison Bumgarner said. "Hes a lot tougher than people realize. Hes a gentleman in the game and hes a competitor. Hes truly a good teammate, one of the best teammates Ive had in my short career so far. It would definitely be hard to top him." Zito and Torres, another member of the 2010 World Series team, now become free agents. Torres, 35, batted .250 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 103 games this past season. Zito has said he still wants to pitch next season somewhere. "Just going to go home this off-season, take a few weeks off and see what my heart tells me," he said. "My bodys still healthy and my minds fairly healthy. Its been injured here and there along the way, but I think I can manage." DeMeco Ryans Eagles Jersey . -- Henrik Zetterberg didnt wait long to make an impact in his first game back from injury. Harold Carmichael Eagles Jersey . Bayern led second-place Leverkusen by 10 points with a game in hand, while Dortmund was another four points off the pace. Freiburg midfielder Felix Klaus scored in the last minute as his side twice came from behind to climb provisionally out of the relegation zone.TORONTO -- Seemingly unable to play their game for a full 60 -- or 65 -- minutes, the Toronto Maple Leafs have found themselves turning to the shootout. And this season, it has been working for them. Jonathan Bernier stopped all three Sabres in the shootout to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 win over Buffalo on Friday. It was a Toronto-record fourth straight shootout -- the Leafs split the four -- and improved its shootout record to 6-4 this season. Toronto is tied with Los Angeles with six shootout victories, behind only Washingtons 10. Five of those shootout wins have come at home. Prior to this season, Torontos career record was 29-45 in the shootout. Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons all failed to beat Bernier in the shootout Friday. Ryan Miller stopped Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk in the shootout. But Joffrey Lupul beat him on a nifty backhand. Sabres captain Steve Ott had scored with 25 seconds left in regulation with the Leafs trying to kill off a six-on-four after Dion Phaneuf was called for hooking with 51 seconds remaining and Miller out of the Buffalo goal. Ott, who had been flying in the third period, pounced on a Bernier rebound during a scramble and fired it into the net for his fifth of the season. "That hurt," said Toronto coach Randy Carlyle, whose crossed arms body language on the bench looked like he was suffering from a severe stomach ache. Jake Gardiner, Peter Holland and Kessel had scored second-period goals to put Toronto ahead 3-2 as the Leafs rallied from an ugly start. It appeared that would be enough for only the Leafs second regulation win in their last 19 outings. Toronto (19-16-5) was coming off shootout losses to the Rangers and Red Wings and early on looked like it was headed for disaster against the leagues worst team. The Leafs fell behind 2-0 in the first period but owned Buffalo for almost all of the final 40 minutes. Outshot 15-10 in the first period, the Leafs roared back in the second when they outshot Buffalo 17-5. "We were like two different hockey clubs," said Carlyle, who added most of the first-period woes were self-inflicted. "The stress level goes up in games like this," he added. "We dont dwell on the negative (although) well touch base with it. But the positive is we found a way to regroup and get ourselves back on track. But we have to play 60 minutes like we played the last two periods, as closer to it as we possibly can. "Its not easy winning in the NHL. Its proved night in, night out. Theres a lot of shootouts taking place. Were four in a row now." Despite Torontos shootout success, Carlyle is no fan. "Do we like shootouts? No." After the morning skate, he had said he would take three-on-three, even two-on-two over the shootout to decide games. Moulson and John Scott also scored for Buffalo (10-24-4) as the NHL re-opened for business after the Christmas break. "I thought we started off real well, but the second period shows you how you can get yourself in trouble when you keep turning the puck over," said interim Buffalo coach Ted Nolan. "We turned it over a number of times." "If theres any merit to what we deserved tonight, its what we got," he added. "Its one of those things where we played as bad as we could play and still get a point. We got what we deserved tonight." For Scott, a six-foot-eight, 259-pound tough guy, the score ended a 164-game goal drought. But he was in the penalty box for Torontos go-ahead goal in the secoond period by Kessel. DeMeco Ryans. Both teams had chances in overtime with the Leafs dominating the final minutes. Miller made huge saves on both Van Riemsdyk and Phaneuf. Bernier made 32 saves for the Leafs, who outshot Buffalo 42-35 including overtime. Bernier was shaken up early in the third when Ott, diving after a puck, plowed into him but the goalie stayed in. Miller deserved a better fate in the Buffalo goal. The Sabres arrived on a mini-streak, having won three of their last four and gone 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. That included a 2-1 overtime win over Phoenix on Monday in a game where Buffalo was only able to dress 16 because of a flu bug. Toronto was 3-5-2 over the same period. Buffalo has been woeful on the road this season, compiling a 3-13-1 record. No one else has less than six wins away from home. Toronto opened with some jump, outshooting the Sabres 6-2 with the second line of Lupul, Holland and Mason Raymond threatening. But Buffalo then ran off eight straight shots and two goals, with members of the Lupul-Holland-Raymond line on the ice for both of them. The two goals were just 52 seconds apart, drawing loud boos from the crowd of 19,405. Moulson scored the opening goal -- something the Sabres have only done eight times this season -- after Girgensons, coming out of the corner, fended off Holland like he was his kid brother. Girgensons then sent the puck to the crease where it appeared to hit Moulson and then Phaneuf. Moulson got credit for his 13th of the season at 7:01. Things got uglier when the Leafs turned the puck over and Bernier misplayed the ensuing shoot-in on goal and shot. There were rebounds galore before the puck bounced back to Scott in the slot and the big man fired it into a gaping goal at 7:53. Playing in his 200th career NHL game, Scott had doubled his goals total to two. Even Buffalos official Twitter feed was taken aback. "OH. MY. GOD! John Scott has given Buffalo a 2-0 lead!" read the Sabres tweet. Scotts only other goal was in November 2009. The Leafs looked in disarray and Carlyle couldnt get to the dressing room quick enough as the period ended to more boos. Things changed in the second period with the Sabres back on their heels seemingly trying to protect a rare lead. Toronto had an early power play but Miller hung tough in the face of prolonged pressure. Then the Leafs top line of Kessel, Nazem Kadri and Van Riemsdyk began to turn the screw. Gardiner finally beat Miller from the blue-line at 11:38 with Van Riemsdyk standing in front of goal and the Leafs dominating as if they had a man-advantage. It was Gardiners second of the season. Holland tied it up after Jamie McBain coughed the puck up in the Sabres corner and a falling Raymond managed to send it over to his centre, who beat Miller in-close for his sixth of the season at 16:25. That led to a mocking chant of "Miller, Miller" from the crowd. In truth, the goalie was all that was keeping the Sabres together in the period. A Scott penalty led a third Leaf goal from Kessel, who benefited from a nifty pass from Van Riemsdyk after a howitzer from Phaneuf at the blue-line. Kessels goal at 19:43 was his 18th of the season. The ice continued to tilt in Torontos favour in the third but it was slightly less so and the sandpaper-like Ott made things interesting by throwing himself into the fray. Bernier had to be sharp a couple of times when the Leafs defence sagged late. And Moulson mistimed a puck that went flying through the crease. Toronto defenceman Morgan Rielly hit the post at the other end seconds later. ' ' '