Bonds ends drought, belts 746th career HR
Giants slugger just 10 homers from breaking Aaron's career mark
![]() | Barry Bonds belts a two-run home-run off Rockies pitcher Taylor Buchholz in the sixth inning Sunday. Bonds had not homered in 63 plate appearances. |
Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP |
SAN FRANCISCO - The last thing Barry Bonds cared to discuss was his latest step toward Hank Aaron’s home run record.
Getting swept at home by the Colorado Rockies for the first time stung.
Bonds broke out of a lengthy home run drought Sunday, hitting his 746th career homer in the sixth inning of a 6-4, 10-inning loss against Colorado to pull within nine of Hammerin’ Hank’s career mark of 755.
“I just feel like we lost. That’s how I feel,” Bonds said. “I don’t even talk about me or home runs anymore at all. If you want to talk about us and the team and us winning and losing, that’s fine, but not about me anymore.”
Bonds hesitated and watched the 2-1 fastball from Taylor Buchholz sail over the center-field wall for his 12th homer of the year and first in 15 games since a shot off the Mets’ Tom Glavine on May 8. The two-run drive pulled the Giants within 4-3.
Bonds rounded the bases as “746” flashed on the main scoreboard and he received a big hug from bat-boy son, Nikolai, after crossing home. Fans began chanting “Barry! Barry!”
Moving within single digits of Aaron wasn’t enough to get Bonds talking about the chase.
“’Cuz, I really don’t want to do it. There’s nothing really to talk about at this point,” he said. “I’ll let you all know, but this time is not the time. Even when we’ve won, I haven’t talked about it. Everyone here knows it.”
Former Giant LaTroy Hawkins gave up Bengie Molina’s tying single to right with two outs in the eighth after Bonds drew a full-count walk with a runner on first, then walked again in the 10th for his 52nd free pass.
Troy Tulowitzki singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th, then Chris Iannetta followed with an RBI double.
Steve Kline (0-1) allowed Todd Helton’s leadoff single in the 10th and Kazuo Matsui entered to pinch run. Randy Winn made a great running catch on Garrett Atkins’ ball at the warning track, but Matsui strayed off second and failed to tag up, missing a key chance to advance. He scored on Tulowitzki’s hit.
Ramon Ramirez (2-1) pitched the ninth for the win as Colorado completed its first three-game sweep in San Francisco, and first in the series since May 24-26, 2002, in Denver. The Rockies have won five in a row for the first time since July 2-6, 2004 — after a span of 453 games without doing so.
Brian Fuentes finished for his 11th straight save and 15th in 16 chances overall, setting a franchise record for most saves in a month with 11.
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The seven-time NL MVP went 14 games without a homer or an RBI, the second-longest RBI drought of his 22-year career. Bonds, who turns 43 on July 24, went 43 at-bats and 63 plate appearances without a homer and his last five games without a hit. Since the last homer, Bonds had drawn 20 walks with seven intentional free passes, struck out eight times and was batting .140 (6-for-43).
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The Rockies haven’t homered during their unbeaten run. Colorado has its first five-game road winning streak since July 23-Aug. 10, 2004, but the only time the Rockies have won four or more away from Coors Field on the same road trip was a six-game unbeaten run from Aug. 8-13, 1993.
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