NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Bonds’ Three Home Runs Not Enough for Giants in Loss to Reds

It was a big day for Barry Bonds and Barry Larkin on Tuesday.

Bonds had the first three-homer game of his career and drove in four runs, but it wasn’t enough as Larkin hit two homers and a double and drove in three runs to help the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-7 victory over the San Francisco Giants at San Francisco.

“Every day’s a big day for Barry Bonds,” said Larkin, who led the National League Central leaders to their fifth consecutive victory.

As for Larkin, “He’s just more aggressive at the plate,” Cincinnati Manager Davey Johnson said. “He’s starting to swing with a little more authority. I think Barry will tell you he’s having fun.”

Larkin, whose home run in the first inning gave the Reds a 2-0 lead, hit his eighth homer in the eighth inning. He also led off the third with a double and scored on an infield out by Tony Fernandez, who drove in three runs.

Bonds, who became the eighth player this season to homer three times in one game, pushed his season total to 35. His first homer, a two-run shot, came in the third inning. Then he tied the score at 4-4 in the fifth, sending Pete Schourek’s first pitch of the inning into the first row of the right field upper deck.

With Bonds at the plate, the Giants scored twice in the seventh on consecutive wild pitches by reliever Hector Carrasco. He hit his 35th homer in the ninth.

Bonds had little to say about his big day. Had he at least retrieved the third home run ball?

“Not yet,” he said. “I don’t want it.”

Florida 3, Chicago 2--Jerry Browne tripled in the 10th inning and scored on Jeff Conine’s sacrifice fly at Chicago as the Marlins ended a seven-game losing streak.

Browne hit a leadoff triple into the right field corner against Jose Bautista (4-5). Bautista struck out Chuck Carr and intentionally walked Gary Sheffield before Conine flew out to left-center, scoring Browne standing up.

Robb Nen (5-5) pitched two hitless innings.

Pittsburgh 3, Philadelphia 2--Lloyd McClendon’s two-out pinch-hit homer in the eighth lifted the Pirates at Philadelphia.

McClendon’s solo homer, his fourth of the season, made a winner of Rick White (4-5) and a loser of Bobby Munoz (7-4).

White, making only his fourth start of the season, gave up eight hits and one earned run in seven innings and didn’t walk a batter. He struck out six and hit a batter.

Montreal 5, St. Louis 4--Ken Hill became the National League’s first 15-game winner at Montreal, pitching the Expos to their fifth consecutive victory.

The Expos, baseball’s winningest team with a 67-38 record, has won 13 of 14 games and increased its lead in the NL East to 4 1/2 games over the Atlanta Braves.

Hill (15-5) gave up three runs on six hits in six innings.

John Wetteland pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

New York 4, Atlanta 1--Rico Brogna’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run eighth inning for the Mets at New York.

Steve Bedrosian (0-2), who relieved starter Kent Mercker in the eighth, gave up a leadoff double to Bobby Bonilla, who scored on Jeff Kent’s single. One out later, Brogna hit his seventh homer.

Mike Remlinger (1-4) won his first game for the Mets. He pitched eight innings, giving up one run on four hits, while striking out two and walking eight. John Franco pitched the ninth for his league-leading 28th save.

Houston 3, Colorado 1--Doug Drabek, who had a no-hitter through seven innings, settled for a two-hitter at Houston as the Astros ended a four-game losing streak.

John Vander Wal, who had four hits in Monday’s 8-3 victory over the Astros, hit the first pitch against Drabek in the eighth inning over the right field scoreboard to break up the no-hitter. Charlie Hayes singled with two outs in the ninth for the Rockies’ other hit.

Drabek (11-6), who won for the first time since June 20, walked two and struck out seven.