Bonds’ big swing doesn’t connect

SAN FRANCISCO -- Larry Ellison came up dry Monday night.

The 56-year-old software salesman, paddling the waters of McCovey Cove in his kayak hoping to add a third Barry Bonds home run ball to his collection, watched in frustration along with a sellout crowd of 43,052 at AT&T; Park as Bonds went hitless in his bid to establish a career home run record.

In his first game since tying Hank Aaron by hitting his 755th home run Saturday night against the San Diego Padres, Bonds fouled out to third baseman Ryan Zimmerman in the first inning, walked on five pitches in the third, grounded into a double play in the fifth and struck out in the seventh against Washington left-hander John Lannan, but the San Francisco Giants came up with a 3-2 victory in 11 innings over the Nationals.

Lannan, making just his third start in his first season in the majors, entered the game with a 5.40 earned-run average and four walks with only two strikeouts in 10 innings.

But if he was intimidated, the 22-year-old pitcher didn’t show it. He challenged Bonds again and again, giving the Giants left fielder several chances to achieve baseball immortality. In the third, on a 3-0 count, Lannan grooved an 88-mph pitch, but Bonds was taking all the way.

In the seventh, with the count 3-1 on Bonds, and the crowd on its feet and groaning at the thought that history was passing it by, Lannan fired a fastball down the middle that Bonds missed on a swing taken with such force that it spun him around and nearly caused him to lose his bat.

With the count full, Bonds dug in for one more swing, one more chance to reward the fans who stood and cheered on every pitch coming his way, one more chance to take advantage of a rookie.

But with the bat wiggling above Bonds’ head and the adrenaline flowing, Lannan showed the poise and confidence of a veteran, coming back with a 77-mph curve that again left Bonds swinging at nothing but air.

And thus Bonds’ evening ended with a whimper, Dave Roberts replacing him for the eighth inning.

And so the celebratory banners rolled up on the light towers on either side of the scoreboard in center field remained unfurled Monday night.

The Giants plan a short celebration when Bonds hits the record homer, but are not planning for an additional ceremony after the game, executive vice president Larry Baer said.

Rather, he said, they expect to hold an elaborate commemoration at a later date, probably before a game.

Perhaps baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will attend. He wasn’t there Monday night. After coming to five of the last six Giants games, Selig was represented instead by baseball officials Frank Robinson and Jimmie Lee Solomon on Monday.

As for Ellison, out in the cold waters behind the right-field stands, he’ll be back, along with his fellow paddlers, tonight.

Ellison, who had been navigating the waters of McCovey Cove since 2001, caught Bonds’ 660th and 661st home run balls on consecutive nights. He gave Bonds No. 660, receiving two custom jerseys and a pair of bats, all signed by Bonds and his godfather, Willie Mays, along with two game jerseys and a large supply of tickets. Ellison sold No. 661 for $17,000.

He figures No. 756 will be worth between $500,000 and $1 million.

So he has made a science out of his enterprise, mounting a laptop on the front of his kayak to watch the game and chart the pitches.

“I position myself,” he said, “based on which part of the plate the pitcher is throwing to.”

To prove his point, Ellison, speaking to a reporter before Monday’s game, maneuvered his kayak as Bonds stepped up for batting practice. And sure enough, Bonds belted a pitch over the right-field wall and into the water within reach of Ellison, who scooped it.

It wasn’t a record-breaker, but, on Monday night, it was as close as Bonds would come.

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Times staff writer Bill Shakin contributed to this report.

steve.springer@latimes.com