Giants Sweep; Bonds Blasts 3 to Sosa’s 1

Barry Bonds homered three times as the San Francisco Giants swept the Chicago Cubs, 11-5 and 6-5, Wednesday despite Sammy Sosa’s major league-leading 52nd homer.

Bonds homered twice and drove in four runs in the opener, then added his 25th homer, his eighth in the last 10 games. Marvin Benard and J.T. Snow also homered in the second game as the Giants extended their winning streak to seven.

Chicago has lost 26 of 32 and is 20-50 since June 9.

Sosa connected off Kirk Rueter (12-7) in the sixth inning of the second game, breaking a tie with Mark McGwire. It came in the Cubs’ 125th game and kept him well ahead of his pace last year. Sosa hit his 52nd in Chicago’s 133rd game last season and finished with 66, four short of McGwire’s record.

Gary Gaetti also homered off Rueter, who gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.

In the opener, Russ Ortiz (15-8) gave up four runs and three hits in five innings and has won three consecutive starts.