Bonds Hits Two Homers in 11-3 Win

PHOENIX —  Barry Bonds hit a home run to pass Mickey Mantle on baseball’s all-time list, then slammed his way back into the chase for Mark McGwire’s single-season home run record.

Bonds moved ahead of Mantle and McGwire’s record pace Thursday night with his 43rd and 44th homers, the second a grand slam, as the San Francisco Giants defeated Curt Schilling and the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-3.

Bonds passed Mantle into ninth place on the all-time homer list with 538. The pair were tied at 536 homers going into the game.

The Giant left fielder had gone without a homer and had only two hits in his previous 19 at-bats before he lined a solo shot over the right-field fence in the fourth inning. Bonds followed with his ninth grand slam, but first since April 26, 1998, to left in the fifth.

Both homers came on the first pitch from Schilling (14-5), who also gave up a home run to Rich Aurilia and leads the majors in homers given up with 29.

Schilling gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked two. He had thrown 14 scoreless innings in a row before Aurilia and Bonds homered on consecutive pitches to put the Giants up, 2-1, in the fourth.

Pedro Feliz homered against reliever Erik Sabel in the sixth and Jeff Kent connected against Greg Swindell in the ninth to give the Giants five homers Thursday and nine in two games.

Bonds’ 44th homer came in the Giants’ 103rd game. When McGwire hit 70 in 1998, his 44th came in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 104th game. No one has hit 44 quicker.

The Diamondbacks, whose lead over the Dodgers in the National League West slipped to a half-game, loaded the bases against Livan Hernandez three times in the first four innings but led only 3-2.

Hernandez (9-11) won his third in a row.

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Chasing History

Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez are in pursuit of Mark McGwire’s major league record 70 home runs, set in 1998:

HOME RUNS AFTER. . .

103 Games

Barry Bonds

2001

44

*

102 Games

Luis Gonzalez

2001

41

*

103 Games

Mark McGwire

1998

43

Bonds update: Bonds hit tow home runs Thursday night, including a grand slam.

Gonzalez update: The Diamondback left fielder was shut out against the Giants.

Factoid: In 1998, McGwire hit his 44th home run in the Cardinals’ 104th game.