Bonds’ Home Run Can’t Help Giants

The Philadelphia Phillies felt they were overdue for a runaway victory--and not even Barry Bonds could slow them down.

Bonds’ major league-leading 47th home run wasn’t nearly enough to prevent the Phillies from ending the San Francisco Giants’ nine-game winning streak with a 12-2 victory Saturday at San Francisco.

Pat Burrell hit a home run, Todd Pratt hit three doubles and Jimmy Rollins reached base five times as Philadelphia got 17 hits and stole five bases while rolling to its first victory in 13 games in San Francisco, dating to Aug. 30, 1998.

Weeks of frustration were eased on a day when everything went the Phillies’ way except one pitch to Bonds, who stayed on the fastest home-run pace in history.

“We’ve been expecting a big, big win, because we’ve lost a lot of heartbreakers,” Rollins said. “We expect to win a lot of games like this, but we haven’t done it lately.”

The Phillies have remained in postseason contention despite playing sub-.500 ball since the all-star break. Philadelphia also lost four games in the past week when the bullpen allowed ninth-inning, game-winning home runs--including Andres Galarraga’s blast Friday night.

“Those walkoff homers take a lot out of you, but these guys just keep bouncing up off the canvas,” Phillie Manager Larry Bowa said. “Every time we win, no matter what the score, our young guys get more experience.”

Bonds’ two-run blast landed in the waters of McCovey Cove in the sixth inning. His 47th homer came in the Giants’ 111th game; Babe Ruth had 47 in 114 games for the Yankees in 1921.

New York 4, Arizona 2--Vance Wilson, getting a rare start in place of catcher Mike Piazza, drove in two runs and made two big defensive plays as the Mets knocked the Diamondbacks out of first place at Phoenix.

The game had an odd ending when David Dellucci, who was on second base, was hit by pinch-hitter Mark Grace’s grounder. Grace was credited with a single and Dellucci was ruled out.

Had Dellucci gotten out of the way, however, shortstop Rey Ordonez was in position to field the ball.

Mark Johnson had a solo home run and a double, and Kevin Appier held the Diamondbacks in check, giving up six hits in seven innings.

Atlanta 14, Milwaukee 2--Wes Helms snapped an 0-for-18 slump and finished with a career-high seven runs batted in, powering the Braves at Milwaukee.

Helms, who struck out in his first at-bat, hit a two-run home run in the third inning, added a bases-loaded triple in the fifth and hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Atlanta pitcher John Burkett (9-8), who was scratched from Friday’s start because of flu-like symptoms, did not allow a hit until the fifth inning.

Burkett pitched six innings, giving up two hits and one run. He did not walk a batter and struck out five, leaving him two shy of matching his career-high of 145 strikeouts set in 1993.

Houston 4, Montreal 1--Rookie Roy Oswalt took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with a three-hitter in the Astros’ victory at Houston.

Oswalt (9-2) gave up an infield single to Mike Mordecai leading off the seventh. Mordecai hit a slow dribbler to third and beat the throw by Vinny Castilla.

Toma Ohka (0-1), making his first start for the Expos after being traded from Boston on Tuesday, threw four perfect innings before Lance Berkman doubled to right-center to lead off the fifth.

The scoreless tie ended in the seventh when Moises Alou’s RBI double scored Julio Lugo.

St. Louis 3, Florida 0--Making his first start since being acquired from San Diego, Woody Williams struck out five and gave up seven hits as the Cardinals won at St. Louis.

Williams (9-8) pitched six-plus innings in his second career appearance at Busch Stadium. The win was the third in a row for Williams, who came to the Cardinals in a trade for Ray Lankford.

Pittsburgh 6, Colorado 3--Aramis Ramirez hit two home runs and drove in three runs to back Todd Ritchie, who worked into the ninth inning, as the Pirates ended a four-game losing streak with a victory at Denver.

Ramirez, who was four for five, also singled and doubled after going two for three with a homer and three RBIs the night before.

San Diego 2, Cincinnati 0--Brian Tollberg, recalled from a rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Portland before the game, gave up four hits in eight innings to lead the Padres at San Diego.

Phil Nevin drove in both runs, the first on his 30th home run in the fifth inning. Nevin reached the 30-home run mark for the second consecutive season, matching Fred McGriff as the only players in team history to accomplish the feat.