Bonds Beats Braves Again

Barry Bonds beat the Atlanta Braves with an extra-inning homer for the second time in three days, connecting for his 652nd career home run in the bottom of the 10th inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 4-3 victory Thursday night.

Bonds hit his major league-leading 39th homer on the first pitch he saw from Trey Hodges (3-2). The drive -- Bonds’ 100th homer at Pacific Bell Park -- landed in the center-field stands.

Thanks to Bonds, the Giants finished a three-game sweep of baseball’s best team with their third straight one-run victory. Bonds beat the Braves, 5-4, on Tuesday night with a drive into McCovey Cove.

The Giants made late rallies to beat the Braves in the first two games of the series, but Atlanta tied this one with a three-run rally in the ninth.

Jason Schmidt left with a 3-0 lead after pitching eight innings of three-hit ball, but Giant closer Tim Worrell wasted it all. He gave up two hits, two walks and Vinny Castilla’s game-tying sacrifice fly.

Milwaukee 5, Philadelphia 2 -- The Phillies did not have a fun stay in Milwaukee this week.

Keith Ginter hit a go-ahead homer off Vicente Padilla in the sixth inning, and the Brewers completed a three-game sweep.

After a five-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of St. Louis last weekend, the Phillies are 0-3 on a season-high 13-game, four-city trip. They have lost 11 of the last 13 on the road.

Despite the loss, Philadelphia remained a half-game ahead of Florida in the wild-card race.

Colorado 5, Florida 2 -- Todd Helton led off the ninth inning with a home run against Braden Looper, giving the Rockies a three-game sweep.

Florida scored two runs in the eighth and tied it in the ninth on Alex Gonzalez’s homer before Helton hit the fourth game-ending homer of his career. Preston Wilson and Chris Stynes also homered for Colorado.

Wilson increased his major league-leading RBI total to 121 as Colorado beat Florida for the 10th time in the last 11 meetings at Coors Field.

St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 3 -- Jim Edmonds’ second homer of the game, a three-run shot in the ninth inning, sent the Cardinals over the Pirates at St. Louis.

Edmonds won it with his 32nd home run, connecting with one out. He got a break two pitches earlier when third baseman Jose Hernandez dropped his foul pop near the stands, though no error was charged.

Cardinal starter Woody Williams threw 134 pitches in 94-degree heat, 10 more than he’d ever thrown in 209 career starts. He gave up seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Arizona 9, Cincinnati 3 -- Junior Spivey and Shea Hillenbrand homered, and Luis Gonzalez and Alex Cintron each drove in two runs to lead the Diamondbacks at Phoenix.

Arizona beat Cincinnati for the 18th time in 20 meetings and pulled within 2 1/2 games of Philadelphia in the wild-card race.

New York 5, San Diego 1 -- Ty Wigginton hit a three-run homer and Roger Cedeno hit a two-run shot, and the Mets avoided a three-game sweep at San Diego.

Jae Seo (7-8) yielded one run and six hits in six innings. He was won consecutive starts after going 0-6 in nine starts since June 17. The Mets have won seven of their last nine.