Slam by Bonds Keys Comeback

Barry Bonds got the Giants close. Stan Javier and Charlie Hayes put them over the top.

Javier and Hayes hit solo homers off Doug Jones in the ninth inning as San Francisco rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-7, Sunday.

Bonds had a grand slam and drove in five runs for the Giants, who overcame a 6-0 deficit and won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak from April 12-14. San Francisco had lost seven of nine coming in.

“Before each game, we say we’re going to play hard for nine innings,” Hayes said. “No matter how far behind we get, we keep trying to plug away and that’s exactly what happened today. That’s what is so good about this team. They never give up.”

The victory brought the Giants (12-12) back to .500. They’ve come from behind in seven of their wins.

“This is one of the biggest games of the year for us,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “Maybe our power bats are coming alive. Hopefully, this will be a big lift for our team. . . .”

With the Giants trailing, 7-6, Javier connected off Jones (1-1), who blew a save for the second time in 10 chances. After Rich Aurilia flied out, Hayes hit for Steve Reed and homered over the left-field wall.

“It doesn’t take much,” Jones said. “They were change-ups to both of them. They were in the strike zone, maybe up a little, but they were looking for them and they got out in front. I didn’t think either one was hit quite that well, but with the wind, they took off.”

Hayes, who worked the count to 2-1 before hitting his third homer of the season, said he expected Jones to go with a change-up.

“I looked for it the whole at-bat,” he said. “If he had thrown me three fastballs down the middle, he probably would have struck me out. But I was up there looking for his best pitch and I got it.”

NEXT SERIES FOR DODGERS

WHO: Milwaukee Brewers

WHERE: Dodger Stadium

WHEN: Tonight, 7

Tuesday, 7 p.m.