Other Giants Pick Up Bonds

Maybe it was the heat, but that sure was an ornery crowd at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.

The fans booed Jeff Weaver, the Dodgers’ starting pitcher. They had a few things to say to Dodger center fielder Milton Bradley after Bradley was ejected for saying a few things of his own. They jeered the Dodgers for walking Barry Bonds, and of course they jeered Bonds for being Bonds.

And that was all in the first half-hour.

The Dodgers didn’t do anything worth cheering most of the evening, tamed into the ninth inning by 22-year-old Jerome Williams of the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants accepted the Dodgers’ challenge to win without help from Bonds. Ray Durham homered and Michael Tucker and A.J. Pierzynski drove in two runs each, sparking San Francisco to a 5-3 victory before a sellout crowd of 54,820.

The Giants scored three times off Weaver in the first inning, and Bonds scored after two of his three walks. Although one of the three walks was officially intentional, Bonds saw 20 pitches and swung at two, fouling one ball off and grounding out on the other.

Before the groundout, he had reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances -- two hits and eight walks.

Williams took a 5-1 lead and a three-hitter into the ninth inning. He got two outs, but Juan Encarnacion hit his 117th and final pitch for a two-run home run.

“I was one out away and I hung a changeup,” Williams said. “I kind of want to beat myself up for that.”

With the crowd finally stirring on behalf of the home team, Felix Rodriguez replaced Williams and walked Adrian Beltre, bringing the potential tying run to the plate.

But Matt Herges relieved Rodriguez and earned the save by getting pinch-hitter Jose Hernandez on a called third strike.

Bradley, whose name was preceded by “volatile” or “temperamental” or some similar adjective in every account of his acquisition by the Dodgers, had been a model citizen since his arrival from Cleveland on opening day. The Indians basically kicked him off their team for misbehavior, but the Dodgers happily traded a minor league outfielder to get him, installed him in the third spot in their lineup and let him rev their offense.

He hit well and smiled daily, at least until Saturday. With two out in the first inning, Bradley took a called third strike, then turned and voiced his objection to umpire Sam Holbrook. The two engaged in a dispute during Friday’s game.

“I asked him, ‘Do you have a grudge?’ ” Bradley said.

Bradley said Holbrook used a profanity in an adjective describing why the pitch was a strike and would not explain the reason for the ejection. Bradley said he believed Holbrook “obviously” had a short fuse.

Holbrook denied harboring a grudge and said neither man used profanity. He said he told Bradley that he had listened to the objections and time had come to move along.

“He ignored two warnings,” Holbrook said.

Bradley expressed disappointment at the circle of reporters that surrounded him.

“I’m the only guy in the league who has to explain why you got kicked out of the game when you get kicked out,” he said. “That’s part of the problem.”

Jason Grabowski picked up a glove for the first time this season, in the Dodgers’ 17th game. Dave Roberts moved from left field to center to replace Bradley, with Grabowski in left.

Grabowski, who had been used exclusively as a pinch-hitter before Saturday, went hitless in three at-bats and is one for 14 this season.