Bonds Is a Giant Among Men

Barry Bonds hit his 31st home run, reaching yet another milestone faster than anyone in major league history, and also scored three runs as the San Francisco Giants defeated the San Diego Padres, 7-6, Tuesday night at San Francisco.

Bonds hit a two-run homer, the 525th of his career, in the third inning against right-hander Wascar Serrano.

With a chilled home crowd cheering his every move, Bonds reached base four times with a single and two four-pitch walks. Camera flashes sparkled in the Pacific Bell Park’s stands on each of Bonds’ swings.

It was Bonds’ fifth homer in six games, and his second in two games against the Padres. It was Bonds’ 56th homer against San Diego--more than his career output against any team except Philadelphia.

He has 31 homers in the Giants’ first 58 games. Mark McGwire hit 31 in the Cardinals’ first 65 games in 1998 when he broke Roger Maris’ record of 61 homers.

When Bonds came up again in the fourth, reliever David Lee whistled his first pitch directly at him. He spun out of the way, then took a step toward the mound before umpire Phil Cuzzi restored calm. Bonds then walked.

Phil Nevin homered and Ben Davis drove in two runs for the Padres, who blew a three-run lead to lose their seventh in a row and 10th in 11 games.

Colorado 9, Houston 4--Mike Hampton became the first Rockies’ pitcher to hit two home runs in one game, leading Colorado to a victory at Denver.

Hampton’s second home run and fourth of the season, a two-run shot, highlighted a six-run sixth inning that gave the Rockies an 8-4 lead.

Hampton (8-2) also had a 412-foot solo homer in the fifth. In 372 at-bats heading into this season, Hampton had no homers, although he sported a respectable .231 average.

He is the first pitcher to homer twice in a game since the Dodgers’ Darren Dreifort did it Aug. 8 against the Chicago Cubs.

Hampton pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and four runs with three walks and four strikeouts.

Chicago 12, St. Louis 6--Pinch-hitter Julio Zuleta hit a grand slam and Matt Stairs and Rondell White had back-to-back home runs at Chicago as the Cubs won their eighth in a row.

The Cubs have won 13 of 14. Chicago extended its lead over the Cardinals in the National League Central to three games.

Gary Matthews Jr. and Ricky Gutierrez added run-scoring singles and Sammy Sosa drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Jon Lieber (6-3) won his third in a row, giving up five runs and seven hits in six innings. He gave himself some run support with his first run batted in of the season.

Dustin Hermanson (5-4) lost his third in a row, giving up six runs and six hits in five innings. He also gave up four of the nine walks given up by Cardinal pitchers.

Atlanta 3, Montreal 1--Brian Jordan and B.J. Surhoff hit consecutive run-scoring singles in the sixth inning, lifting Greg Maddux and Braves to a victory at Montreal.

Maddux (5-5), who never had two wild pitches in the same game since Aug. 20, 1993, gave up a run in the fourth on Orlando Cabrera’s single after Vladimir Guerrero moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

Maddux has three wild pitches this season after throwing only one each of the last two seasons.

New York 9, Philadelphia 0--Rick Reed pitched a four-hitter for his first shutout since 1999 as the Mets won at Philadelphia.

After being swept in a three-game series by the first-place Phillies last week at Shea Stadium, New York handed Philadelphia its third consecutive loss to move within 11 games in the NL East.

Reed (6-2), who came into the game with only five walks in 81 1/3 innings, issued a season-high three and struck out four in his first shutout since Oct. 2, 1999 against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh 5, Florida 2--Kevin Young hit a grand slam as the Pirates handed Brad Penny his first loss in nearly a year and snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory at Miami.

Penny (4-1) had won eight consecutive decisions in 17 starts since June 28. He hit Jason Kendall and walked Brian Giles and John Vander Wal to load the bases with two outs. Young then drove a pitch into the left-field seats for his third career grand slam.

Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 3--Alex Ochoa scored when Brewer center fielder outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds bobbled Michael Tucker’s single in the 13th inning to lift the Reds to a victory at Milwaukee.

Ochoa, whose home run tied the score in the ninth, led off the 13th with a double down the left-field line off Will Cunnane (0-2). Tucker followed with a single to center. With no outs, Ochoa was being held at third on the hit, but he scored when Hammonds misplayed the ball.