Bonds Picks Up Where He Left Off

In his return to the San Francisco lineup, Barry Bonds hit his 596th homer, got his major league-leading 41st intentional walk and had words with Philadelphia Manager Larry Bowa.

Before Bonds was intentionally walked to load the bases in the ninth inning, Bowa went to the mound, and then exchanged words with Bonds on the way back to the dugout.

Closer Jose Mesa then retired Rich Aurilia to end the threat and give the Phillies an 8-6 victory over the Giants on Wednesday night.

“I told him he wasn’t going to beat us,” Bowa said. “You don’t want to know what he said to me and you don’t want to know what I said back to him.”

Bonds also doubled twice in his return to the lineup after sitting out 10 consecutive starts because of a strained right hamstring.

He doubled in his first at-bat and later hit his 29th home run and a ground-rule double. He finished three for four with a strikeout and intentional walk.

“You just can’t let him beat you,” Bowa said. “He’s always locked in and he loves those situations. Bonds is a good guy when he’s sitting on the bench, he’s not a good guy standing in the box.”

In the eighth, Bonds caught Marlon Anderson’s fly ball in left field and walked around for a few seconds. He was OK, and stayed in the game.

Bonds has hit 27 homers at Veterans Stadium, the most by a visiting player at the park. Gary Carter hit 26.

Bonds’ solo homer in the fifth off Phillie newcomer Mike Timlin tied it at 6-6. It was the first homer that Timlin had surrendered to Bonds in his career.

“There are a lot of names in his book. I was hoping to keep my name out of it,” Timlin said

The Phillies broke the tie in the sixth. Anderson singled and Todd Pratt was hit by a pitch from reliever Troy Brohawn (0-1).

Doug Glanville laid down a sacrifice bunt and Felix Rodriguez threw a wild pitch that made it 7-6. Jimmy Rollins added a sacrifice fly.

Timlin (2-3) earned the victory in his Phillies’ debut. They got him in a trade that sent Scott Rolen to St. Louis.