Bonds, Rueter Help Giants to 6-5 Win

Barry Bonds homered and Kirk Rueter threw seven scoreless innings before getting into trouble in the eighth, and the San Francisco Giants held off the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-5, Tuesday night at Phoenix.

Bonds also drew a bases-loaded walk, Rich Aurilia homered and Benito Santiago doubled in two runs for the Giants, who led, 6-0, going into the eighth and nearly blew a late lead for the second consecutive game.

The Diamondbacks scored five times in the eighth, three runs coming on Junior Spivey’s home run against reliever Joe Nathan, the first of four relievers the Giants used in the inning.

Rueter (5-1) ran his streak of consecutive scoreless innings against Arizona to 30.

Cincinnati 9, Atlanta 8 -- Ken Griffey Jr. homered for the first time since returning from a dislocated shoulder, and Jason LaRue hit a tiebreaking two-run drive at Cincinnati.

The Reds blew a 7-2 lead before LaRue connected in the eighth inning against Roberto Hernandez (3-1).

Vinny Castilla hit two homers for the Braves.

Montreal 6, Florida 4 -- Brian Schneider homered and Orlando Cabrera hit a two-run double to key a four-run fourth inning for the host Expos.

Mike Lowell and Derrek Lee homered for Florida, which has lost four in a row.

Houston 3, St. Louis 2 -- Wade Miller (2-5), whose only victory in nine previous starts this season came May 5, hit a two-run double and gave up three hits over seven innings at Houston.

St. Louis has lost nine of 14. Houston moved past the Cardinals into sole possession of second place in the National League Central.

Milwaukee 8, San Diego 7 -- John Vander Wal homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to help stretch the Padres’ losing streak to a season-high seven games.

San Diego, which has lost 15 of 17, tied the score on Sean Burroughs’ two-out triple in the ninth.

Philadelphia 11, New York 7 -- Pat Burrell hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and a tying three-run drive in a seven-run seventh, and the Phillies overcame a 4-0 deficit at New York.

Chicago at Pittsburgh -- The game was postponed because of threatening weather and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sept. 19.