Padres on Brink of Crown

The San Diego Padres have finally staggered to the cusp of the National League West title.

Ramon Hernandez hit a go-ahead grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs to lead the Padres to a 9-6 win over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, reducing their magic number to two for clinching the division crown.

The Padres, who overcame Barry Bonds’ 708th homer -- a three-run shot -- can wrap up the fourth division championship in their 37-year history by winning one of the two remaining games with the second-place Giants. San Diego has a four-game lead with five to play.

The Padres’ luck changed when they needed it to the most. Unable to string together big innings down the stretch, the Padres did just that thanks to an error by Giant first baseman J.T. Snow one batter ahead of Hernandez in the fourth. With San Diego trailing 6-5 with two outs and two on, pinch-hitter Eric Young hit a check-swing grounder between first and second that bounced off the heel of Snow’s glove.

Jeff Fassero (4-7) threw Hernandez a 1-and-1 fastball up and away, and the catcher drove it the other way an estimated 334 feet into the home-run porch down the right-field line at Petco Park for a 9-6 lead.

Hernandez answered a curtain call, and the crowd of 29,492 gave him a standing ovation the next inning.

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Closing In

The San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds moved within six homers of Babe Ruth on the career list.

*--* PLAYER HOME RUNS 1. Hank Aaron 755 2. Babe Ruth 714 3. Barry Bonds * 708 4. Willie Mays 660 5. Sammy Sosa * 588 6. Frank Robinson 586 7. Mark McGwire 583 8. Harmon Killebrew 573 9. Rafael Palmeiro * 569 10. Reggie Jackson 563

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(* -- active)