No Homer for Bonds, Just a Win

Mark McGwire got the home run and Barry Bonds got the win.

McGwire hit a two-run homer and St. Louis pitched around Bonds as the Cardinals lost, 10-5, to the San Francisco Giants Friday night.

Bonds, challenging McGwire’s record of 70 homers in 1998, went 0 for 2 with three walks, one intentional. He remained at 38 homers.

“They pitched Barry carefully and we pitched Big Mac carefully,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “We just got one over the plate and he lost it.”

“I imagine it’s going to happen quite a bit.”

Bonds did not talk to reporters after the game. He had a lengthy interview session several hours before the game.

Armando Rios hit his third career grand slam in a six-run fourth and Livan Hernandez (7-9) pitched a seven-hitter as the Giants won for the ninth time in 10 games.

McGwire hit his seventh homer with two outs in the eighth and was two for three, also drawing a walk. Jim Edmonds homered twice, giving him 12 this season, and drove in three runs for the Cardinals, who have lost three in a row.

Hernandez has given up five homers to McGwire.

Hernandez has won three of his last four starts and threw his first complete game since Sept. 19, against Cincinnati. He struck out three and walked three.

Bonds saw only two strikes in his first three at-bats, drawing two five-pitch walks and a four-pitch intentional walk after the count went to 3-0. He scored the first two times as the Giants chased Dustin Hermanson (6-6) in the third. Bonds also grounded into a double play and struck out.

McGwire, who had 37 homers at the All-Star break en route to his record 70 in 1998, said before the game that he was impressed with Bonds’ achievements but that the second half of the season would be the true test.

Benito Santiago had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs and Rich Aurilia had two hits and two RBIs for the Giants.