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Friday, July 20 2007 @ 09:09 AM CDT
Barry Bonds closed to within two home runs of tying Hank Aaron's all-time career record in the San Francisco Giants' 9-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs in National League play on Thursday.
Bonds broke out of his worst slump in six years after sitting out three games to rest his sore legs, with his two home runs giving him 753, three away from beating Aaron's career total of 755.
The slugger did not take long to end his 0-for-21 slump at the plate, belting a solo homer over the right field bleachers on the first pitch from Ted Lilly in his first at-bat in the second inning.
Bonds also had a two-run single in the third before walking in the sixth. In the seventh inning he connected for a three-run blast off reliever Will Ohman -- his 19th of the season and number 753 -- to center field.
"I felt really good, felt strong, rejuvenated a bit," Bonds told reporters.
The multi-homer game was the 71st of his career, one shy of Babe Ruth's record of 72. Bonds finished with six RBI in the game.
The Giants now head to Milwaukee for a three-game series, the same city where Aaron began and ended his career. Bonds celebrates his 43rd birthday on Tuesday, with the Giants home for a series against the Atlanta Braves starting Monday night.
"I don't care where it happens," Bonds said of the pending record. "You're trying to win baseball games and win for your team.
"Wherever that happens, it happens, and as long as we win, I'm happier."
His heroics were not enough to stop the surging Cubs, however, as Chicago won for the 18th time in the past 23 games, including three of four in this series.
"It's hard to play as bad as we did today," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Aramis Ramirez paced the 16-hit Cub attack with three hits and scored twice and drove in two runs. Alfonso Soriano also had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run while Jacque Jones had four hits and one RBI.
Lilly (10-4) allowed three runs on six hits over five innings and got the win. Five relievers finished up, including Bob Howry, who pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save.
Matt Morris (7-6) allowed 12 hits and was charged with eight runs, five earned, over 4 2/3 innings and was the loser. Randy Winn had three hits for the Giants.
* The Milwaukee Brewers hammered the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-1, the Brewers third win in their four-game series with the D-Backs. Rookie Yovani Gallardo pitched six shutout innings, replacing the injured Ben Sheets.
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