Bonds Puts One in the Bay

Barry Bonds hit a ball into San Francisco Bay for the first splashdown homer at Pacific Bell Park, helping the Giants beat the New York Mets, 10-3, Monday night.

Bonds watery three-run shot tied Jermaine Dye of Kansas City for the major league lead with 11 homers as the Giants won for only the second time in nine games at their new ballpark.

The Giant slugger drove the first pitch from New York’s Rich Rodriguez over the right-field wall and into McCovey Cove where it was quickly fished out of the bay with a net by Joseph Figone, a member of the grounds crew at the Giants’ old ballpark on Candlestick Point.

“I’ve been making it to every game we’ve had out here this season and the exhibition season,” Figone said. “I finally got it.”

Figone was cruising the cove in a raft and was in the right place at the right time. The crowd erupted when the ball sailed into the bay and brought Bonds out for a bow.

Figone plans to add the ball to his memorabilia collection, but would listen to big-money offers to sell.

“I’m not stupid,” he said.

The Giants celebrated the milestone by shooting off water cannons over the right-field wall and putting up the number one on a scoreboard designating splashdowns in the bay.

In an exhibition game against the Yankees, Bonds hit a ball that bounced off the pier-side walkway and into the bay.

Shawn Estes went seven-plus innings for his first win of the season and Jeff Kent homered, doubled and scored three times in a game that was marked by a spectacular catch by New York center fielder Jay Payton and a brief tempest that emptied both benches.

Florida 5, San Diego 2--Preston Wilson hit a two-run homer and an RBI double, and pitcher Ryan Dempster doubled and scored as the Marlins beat the Padres at San Diego to stop a five-game losing streak.

Wilson’s homer was the 10th given up by right-hander Woody Williams, tying him with Houston’s Jose Lima for the most allowed in the majors.

The Padres have given up 27 runs on 10 homers in their last six games, four of them by Williams.

The Padres, swept by the Atlanta Braves during the weekend, are on their first four-game losing streak of the season.

Houston 5, Milwaukee 0--Octavio Dotel combined with three relievers on a two-hitter, and Mitch Meluskey went two for four with a two-run homer and three RBIs to lead the Astros over the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Milwaukee’s Steve Woodard (0-4) extended his winless streak to 16 starts since he beat Kansas City last July 16. Woodard, 0-7 in that span, allowed three runs, nine hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.

Houston took three of four in the series, blanking the Brewers twice. Milwaukee has been shut out three times this season.

Dotel (1-2) retired his first 11 batters, striking out five, before walking Jeromy Burnitz in the fourth.

His sixth strikeout ended the inning, but Tyler Houston broke up the no-hit bid in the fifth with a one-out bunt single down the third-base line. Dotel fielded the ball cleanly, but Houston just beat the throw.

Dotel retired the next two batters, then left because of a sore left hip. He lowered his earned-run average from 5.04 to 4.20. He allowed only the one hit, winning for the first time since beating Philadelphia in relief for the New York Mets last Sept. 19.

Mike Maddux held the Brewers hitless until Houston’s two-out double in the seventh.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, ppd.--The game was rained out and will be made up as part of a Sept. 8 twi-night doubleheader.