NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : McGriff’s Homer Wins for Braves

The wall along the left-field bullpen was just too close, and Barry Bonds sensed it when he pulled up while chasing Fred McGriff’s foul ball in the 12th inning.

The ball landed a foot inside the field.

McGriff then hit a three-run homer to give the Atlanta Braves a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Atlanta on Wednesday night.

On a night when Henry Aaron was honored for his historic 715th homer, hit 20 years and five days before, McGriff, whose stall in the Braves’ clubhouse is next to one reserved for Aaron, wasn’t thinking in nostalgic terms, even when his homer hit near the 715 marker over the left-field fence in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

“I haven’t been swinging the bat too good, so the only thing I was thinking about was that I had finally gotten a hit,” said McGriff.

Atlanta opened the 12th with a double from Jeff Blauser against rookie Tony Mendendez (0-1), then got a walk to Terry Pendleton before McGriff hit his second homer of the season.

“In that situation, the one guy I didn’t want to see at the plate was Fred McGriff,” San Francisco Manager Dusty Baker said. “It was a tough spot for Menendez, but we had no choice. We were down to our last pitcher.”

Menendez was the sixth San Francisco pitcher. The only reliever remaining was Dave Burba, who had pitched three innings on Tuesday night.

Houston 4, Florida 2--Greg Swindell gave up five hits in eight shutout innings at Miami and remained unbeaten in four decisions against the Marlins.

Pittsburgh 3, San Diego 2--Al Martin tripled, doubled and scored the go-ahead run on third baseman Archi Cianfrocco’s throwing error in the fifth inning as the Pirates won at Pittsburgh and sent the Padres to a 1-8 record, the majors’ worst.

Philadelphia 12, Colorado 3--Darren Daulton drove in four runs and scored four as the Phillies won at Philadelphia to end a four-game losing streak.

Daulton went three for four with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.