The allegations of cheating have put a cloud over Bonds’ rapid rise up the home run chart. He hit his 500th homer on April 17, 2001, on the way to a record 73 that season, and reached 700 on Sept. 17, 2004, a stretch unmatched by any player at the end of his career.

“He’s the greatest hitter I’ve played against and one of the best of this era,” Oakland’s Jay Payton said. “It’s part of history and it’s exciting to be part of that.”

Before the bottom of the 11th inning in the Yankees’ 5-4, 11-inning win over the Mets at Shea Stadium, a message on the scoreboard announced Bonds’ 714th homer, and the crowd booed.

“I still remember Barry Bonds as a great player, regardless of steroids or what,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “How many home runs would he have hit without whatever people are saying is going on? I don’t know. I know one thing: That player-wise, he’s pretty good.”

Bonds has said his many milestones won’t mean as much later if he doesn’t win a World Series ring, the only thing missing from a decorated resume featuring the record seven NL MVP awards, 13 All-Star selections and eight Gold Gloves in left field.

The Giants fell six outs short of winning it all in 2002 when they blew their lead in Game 6 and lost in the deciding seventh game to the Angels. While Bonds was at his best that postseason, with eight homers and 27 walks, it was his struggles in his first five trips to the playoffs with Pittsburgh and San Francisco that characterized his career before he became a record-setting home run hitter.

No matter the controversy, his home fans still adore him, chanting his name when he comes to bat and waving yellow rubber chickens whenever an opposing manager makes the most unpopular choice to intentionally walk him.

It is Bonds, after all, who is the biggest reason 3 million fans a year pack the seats at the Giants’ sparkling waterfront ballpark, which opened in 2000.

Ray Durham hit a go-ahead RBI single to score Omar Vizquel in the 10th, Steve Finley added a sacrifice fly in the inning and Mike Matheny homered in the seventh as the Giants ended a four-game losing streak in the Bay Bridge Series.

Jason Schmidt pitched into the ninth before missing his chance to win a fourth straight decision. Armando Benitez (3-0) blew his second save but recovered for the win, while Kiko Calero (0-1) loaded the bases in the 10th on the way to the loss.

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