Washington – Barry Bonds homered for the fourth consecutive game to raise his career total to 707, and San Francisco starter Brad Hennessey hit a solo shot while winning for the first time in 10 outings, leading the Giants past the Washington Nationals 5-1 on Wednesday night.
The Giants have won five consecutive games to hold onto an outside chance of catching the West-leading San Diego Padres, who maintained their five-game lead with a 5-2 victory over the Rockies.
After today’s series finale against the Nationals, the Giants begin a three-game series Friday against the Rockies at Coors Field. Bonds probably won’t start today because it’s an afternoon game.
San Francisco’s surge has coincided with last week’s return of Bonds, who missed most of 2005 following three knee operations. The team is 6-1 in his starts, and Bonds is hitting .318 (7-for-22) with four homers and six RBIs.
Bonds connected for a two-run homer in the first inning on a 1-1 pitch from John Patterson (9-6), sending it into the visitors’ bullpen beyond right field. The ball traveled in the same direction, though not as high or far, as the upper-deck homer Bonds hit off Livan Hernandez in the fourth inning Tuesday.
He’s eight homers from passing Babe Ruth (714) for second on the career list behind Hank Aaron’s 755.
Hennessey (5-8) gave up one run and three hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out four.
Phillies 10, Braves 6, (10)
Atlanta – Ryan Howard hit a grand slam in the 10th inning, and Jimmy Rollins drove in two runs and extended his hitting streak to 26 games as Philadelphia pulled within five games of Atlanta in the East.
Both teams have 10 games remaining, leaving Atlanta’s magic number for clinching a 14th consecutive division title at six.
The Phillies’ best hope for reaching the playoffs is the wild card. They remained two games behind the Houston Astros, who won 12-8 at Pittsburgh.
The Braves overcame two three-run deficits. Adam LaRoche hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs in all and Johnny Estrada added a two-run shot.
But Philadelphia loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th off Kyle Davies (7-4). Shane Victorino hit into a forceout at the plate, and the Braves brought in left-hander John Foster to face Howard.
Foster, who had not pitched in eight days because of a sore elbow, fell behind 2-0 then gave up the opposite-field shot into the left-field stands. It was Howard’s 19th homer.
Rollins kept his hitting streak going with a fourth-inning single, tying the Phillies’ post-1900 record. Chuck Klein had two 26-game streaks in 1930.
Astros 12, Pirates 8
Pittsburgh – Lance Berkman hit his 20th homer and drove in five runs as Houston built an 8-0 lead and then held off Pittsburgh.
Berkman hit a three-run homer in a four-run first inning, and Mike Lamb hit a three-run homer in a four-run second as the Astros moved 14 games over .500 (83-69) for the first time this season. Roy Oswalt (18-12) allowed four runs, three earned, and nine hits over six innings to win for the fourth time in five decisions. He struck out six.
Mets 5, Marlins 4
New York – Florida’s slender wild-card hopes were jolted when Miguel Cairo’s single in the ninth inning scored Jose Reyes from second base.
It was the sixth loss in seven games for the Marlins.
Cardinals 5, Reds 1
Cincinnati – Jason Marquis (13-14) pitched seven solid innings, and homers by David Eckstein and So Taguchi powered St. Louis to its 96th victory.
