Bonds Remains at 63 Home Runs

Baseball’s Home Run Watch resumed on a cool Tuesday night at Pacific Bell Park, where Barry Bonds rolled his pants cuffs down to his ankles, swung from his heels and spent a long time looking for the long ball.

He didn’t find it. Bonds was hitless in three official at-bats and also walked in the Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros and remained at 63 home runs.

If it wasn’t great news for Bonds, it was worse for the Giants, who blew a 2-1 lead in the ninth. With Arizona’s loss at Colorado, the Giants could have pulled to within one game of the West Division-leading Diamondbacks.

The Giants fell a game behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card race.

There are 17 games left for Bonds to try to equal Mark McGwire’s record of 70 home runs in one season.

Figuring four at-bats a game, Bonds would need seven home runs in 68 at-bats, or a home run every 9.7 plate appearances. He is averaging a home run every 6.8 at-bats this season, so you would have to say Bonds has a chance.

Nine days ago, Bonds smacked three home runs against the Colorado Rockies, in his last game before Tuesday night.

If that was the norm, this one was a lot different. The first clue that this was might not be an ordinary night came before the game. Giants manager Dusty Baker conducted a 20-minute mass interview with the media and didn’t field a single question about Bonds, thus setting a record for longest (or any) interview without the words Bonds and home run.

Home runs and the pursuit of them had no place in the pre-game ceremony that began with the stadium lights dimmed. Wearing long blue choir gowns, the Glide Memorial Church sang ‘Amazing Grace,’ and the Rev.

Cecil Williams gave the invocation. Union Local 798 of the city’s firefighters unfurled a huge American flag in center field, the fans held slender white candles, small American flags and sang ‘God Bless America’ as the police department’s mounted color guard presented the colors.

The attendance was 40,901-the Giants’ 38th consecutive sellout.

Bonds got his first chance in the first inning and walked on a three-and-two pitch. It was his 150th walk of the season, which means that even when Bonds doesn’t hit the ball, he still reaches milestones.

With a runner on first base in the third, Bonds was swinging on a three-and-one pitch, but he hit a towering pop fly to second. In fifth, Bonds flied out to left field on the first pitch.

And in the seventh, Bonds took a called third strike on a one-and-two pitch.

The Home Run Watch continues tonight, and the clock is ticking.