Bonds Shows He Is a True Deep Threat

Barry Bonds, the only major leaguer to hit a ball into San Francisco Bay in a regular-season game, now has done it three times.

Bonds’ 13th and 14th homers of the season, both solo shots, splashed into McCovey Cove behind right field, and the San Francisco Giants defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3, Wednesday.

Leading off the eighth against Heathcliff Slocumb (0-2), Bonds broke a 3-3 tie with his second home run of the game. . Fans who came to new Pacific Bell Park wondering whether Mark McGwire could hit a ball into the giant mitt beyond the left-field bleachers saw Bonds steal the show.

“Big Mac can hit them farther than any man alive, or dead,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “But Barry can hit them as consistently as anyone.”

Felix Rodriguez (3-0), who got all three of his wins on the homestand that ended Wednesday, pitched one inning and Robb Nen got three outs for his sixth save, striking out Larry Sutton to end the game with a runner on second.

Bonds became the first player to hit a homer into the bay May 1. Bonds, who broke an 0-for-16 slump with his 12th homer in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s 13-6 loss to St. Louis, went two for three Wednesday with a walk.

“We just made a stupid pitch. If you don’t execute, all the research is in vain with one pitch,” Slocumb said. “I sort of got lazy there. The ball ran in, he paused and he recognized it, and he’s a good enough hitter he can make you pay.”

Bonds’ homer on Tuesday also came off Slocumb, who had gotten Bonds out in seven of their eight confrontations coming into the series.

“You can’t keep a good thing down forever,” Bonds said. “Eventually, I’m going to get him.”

Pittsburgh 13, New York 9--Wil Cordero went five for five with four runs batted in and the Pirates overcame a 6-1 deficit at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates finished with 20 hits, the most against the Mets since they had 20 on Sept. 26, 1992.

Pinch-hitter John Vander Wal’s two-run double highlighted a five-run seventh that carried the Pirates to their sixth win in eight games.

The Mets, losers of seven of nine, went ahead, 7-6, in the top of the seventh against Jose Silva (3-1) on Todd Zeile’s RBI double. In the bottom half, the first seven batters reached off Dennis Cook (3-1) and Pat Mahomes, who allowed Pat Meares’ go-ahead single.

Chicago 9, Milwaukee 8--Willie Greene drove in the winning run off Valerio De Los Santos (0-2) with a two-out single in the 11th inning at Chicago after the Cubs tied the game with five unearned runs in the ninth.

After first baseman Kevin Barker dropped a two-out popup that allowed Damon Buford to reach, pinch-hitter Henry Rodriguez hit a three-run homer. Bob Wickman walked the bases loaded and shortstop Mark Loretta threw away Mark Grace’s grounder as two runs scored.

Florida 5, Atlanta 3--Tom Glavine (6-1), who had won eight consecutive decisions since Sept. 11, dropped to 6-11 against Florida, the only team he has a losing record against, after he gave up five runs and nine hits in seven innings at Miami.

The Braves loaded the bases with none out in the sixth, but Andruw Jones’ baserunning mistake turned a flyout into a double play. The Braves loaded the bases with none out in the eighth against Dan Miceli, but again failed to score.

Houston 5, Colorado 1--Shane Reynolds (5-0) gave up one run and four hits in seven innings at Houston to win his fifth consecutive decision.

Mitch Meluskey and Jeff Bagwell homered for the Astros, who dropped their first four series at the new ballpark before taking two of three from the Rockies. The Astros are 5-10 at Enron Field.

Philadelphia 8, Montreal 0--Robert Person (3-1) pitched a four-hitter at Montreal for the first complete game of his major league career.

Making his 65th career start and 29th for the Phillies, Person struck out five and walked four. He retired his first 11 batters before Rondell White’s two-out single in the fourth.

Cincinnati 5, San Diego 1--Dante Bichette hit into his fourth double play in a two-game span, then hit a three-run homer off Trevor Hoffman at Cincinnati. Bichette is seven for 18 in his career against the Padre closer, with four homers.

Ron Villone (4-1) gave up one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, and Scott Williamson pitched two innings for his fourth save.