Just when the Houston Astros were about to go on the short list of sports’ biggest cowards, Barry Bonds made them look like geniuses. All it took was one mighty swing.
With plenty of energy stored in his body, Bonds unleashed his quiet anger at a ninth-inning fastball from Wilfredo Rodriguez. It was clear from the instant of contact that he would wait no longer for his 70th home run, tying the single-season record Mark McGwire set three years ago.
Oh, that’s why Houston was ducking him.
As the ball sailed 454 feet, carrying into the seats beyond the bullpen in deep right-center field, Bonds raised both arms over his head and began his triumphant trot into the history books. Enron Field fans reacted like he was one of their own, cheering wildly as Bonds was mobbed by San Francisco Giants teammates at home plate.
“It was electrifying,” Bonds said. “I have a lot of respect for Mark McGwire. To me, it’s an honor to have an opportunity to share [the record] with him. To me, he’s a great home run hitter. He put the home run mark where it is. I will always respect that. . . . But I want those three more victories.”
Bonds has three games remaining to break McGwire’s record. But after the 10-2 victory Thursday night that finished a decisive sweep of the Astros, he remains at least equally focused on helping the Giants rally for a spot in the National League playoffs.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Bonds said. “We’re trying to get to the postseason. This team is gutting it out, playing really, really well.”
Both Bonds’ place in history and his plans for next week will be settled when the Giants play host to rival Los Angeles this weekend at Pacific Bell Park. There is no guarantee the Dodgers will pitch him more aggressively than Houston, which had walked or hit him nine times in 14 plate appearances before he batted against the inexperienced Rodriguez with a 9-2 lead.
San Francisco manager Dusty Baker has been on both sides of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry. He won’t be surprised by anything that happens as Bonds tries to hit No. 71.
“You know us and the Dodgers,” said Baker, who played outfield for Los Angeles. “You know what that’s about. The way he hit No. 500 off the Dodgers [last April], they didn’t appreciate that too much. Stopping the game [for a ceremony], I’m sure they didn’t appreciate that. I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate him setting the record against them. That’s the Dodgers.”
While Bonds’ patient approach has helped sustain the Giants’ slim playoff chances–he scored six runs in the sweep over Houston–it would be easier for him to pass McGwire if San Francisco were not a factor in an intriguing playoff picture. Los Angeles manager Jim Tracy said Thursday he would expect his pitchers to challenge Bonds if the Giants were out of the race.
Nothing has yet been decided in the evenly balanced NL. San Francisco (89-70) is two games behind Arizona in the West and two behind Houston (91-68) in the wild-card race. By losing for the eighth time in nine games, the Astros fell one game behind St. Louis (92-67) in the Central heading to a Busch Stadium showdown. After having lost three games along with ace Roy Oswalt last weekend at Wrigley Field, the Astros were jittery when Bonds got to town.
Bonds did not complain after being walked five times and hit with one pitch in the first two games of the series. Baker said it was a reasonable approach given the games’ importance.
“If they were seven games out with games to go, it would be different,” Baker said before the game. “I don’t think Barry likes it. Nobody likes it, but it’s part of the game. I did the same thing to Big Mac in ’98. I walked him with nobody on base.”
Some expected the Astros to challenge Bonds on Thursday after he walked and scored three times in Wednesday’s 11-8 game, when cleanup hitter Jeff Kent drove in three runs with a double and two singles. Yet Houston’s plan seemed unchanged.
Starter Dave Mlicki walked Bonds on four pitches with the bases empty in the first inning. Bonds came up with the bases empty in the third but grounded out to second baseman Craig Biggio, who was stationed perhaps 50 feet into right field. That was his only chance until the ninth.
In the fifth, Mlicki walked him on four pitches with runners on first and second–a move that contributed to a four-run inning. But the topper of the series came when Bonds went to the plate in the sixth inning. With Rich Aurilia on second and one out, Houston manager Larry Dierker ordered reliever Ricky Stone to intentionally walk Bonds (his 175th walk of the season) even though it was an 8-1 game.
“[Coach] Robby Thompson at first base was really upset because it wasn’t really a close game,” Bonds said. “Everyone could understand it if it was a close game.”
With Bonds leading off the ninth, few in the crowd of 43,734 went home early. Dierker called for Rodriguez, a 22-year-old lefty who hadn’t pitched above Double A until making his big-league debut last weekend in Chicago.
Rodriguez didn’t mess around. “Wow,” Bonds said. “Three fastballs.”
Bonds swung through one clocked at 95 m.p.h., then took one at 96 for a ball. He was ready for the next one, sending it flying into the history books.
As much as Bonds enjoyed getting a piece of the record, the mob scene at home plate was gratifying. He has often isolated himself from his teammates but was embraced warmly.
“I can’t even express the feelings,” Bonds said. “I think a couple of them got some cheap shots in on my ribcage . . . some long years of frustration. I guess they just wanted to get it out.”
Bonds was laughing. He had a smile on his face that wasn’t likely to wear off on the flight home to San Francisco, where he’ll try to hit No. 71.
“I don’t really care,” he said. “I just want to win. I want another shot at the postseason.”
Seldom does anybody get to have it all. But Bonds has a shot.
The route to 70
Home runs hit by Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants with date, opposing team, pitcher, number of men on base.
1: April 2, vs. San Diego (Williams), 0.
2: April 12, at San Diego (Eaton), 0.
3: April 13, at Milwaukee (Wright), 1.
4: April 14, at Milwaukee (Haynes), 2.
5: April 15, at Milwaukee (Weathers), 0.
6: April 17, vs. Los Angeles (Adams), 1.
7: April 18, vs. Los Angeles (Park), 0.
8: April 20, vs. Milwaukee (Haynes), 1.
9: April 24, vs. Cincinnati (Brower), 1.
10: April 26, vs. Cincinnati (Sullivan), 1.
11: April 29, vs. CUBS (Aybar), 0.
12: May 2, at Pittsburgh (Ritchie), 1.
13: May 3, at Pittsburgh (Anderson), 1.
14: May 4, at Philadelphia (Chen), 1.
15: May 11, vs. New York Mets (Trachsel), 0.
16: May 17, at Florida (Smith), 1.
17: May 18, at Atlanta (Remlinger), 0.
18: May 19, at Atlanta (Perez), 0.
19: May 19, at Atlanta (Cabrera), 0.
20: May 19, at Atlanta (Marquis), 0.
21: May 20, at Atlanta (Burkett), 0.
22: May 20, at Atlanta (Remlinger), 0.
23: May 21, at Arizona (Schilling), 0.
24: May 22, at Arizona (Springer), 1.
25: May 24, vs. Colorado (Thomson), 0.
26: May 27, vs. Colorado (Neagle), 1.
27: May 30, vs. Arizona (Ellis), 0.
28: May 30, vs. Arizona (Ellis), 1.
29: June 1, at Colorado (Chacon), 1.
30: June 4, vs. San Diego (Jones), 0.
31: June 5, vs. San Diego (Serrano), 1.
32: June 7, vs. San Diego (Lawrence), 1.
33: June 12, vs. Anaheim (Rapp), 0.
34: June 14, vs. Anaheim (Pote), 0.
35: June 15, vs. Oakland (Mulder), 0.
36: June 15, vs. Oakland (Mulder), 0.
37: June 19, at San Diego (Eaton), 0.
38: June 20, at San Diego (Myers), 1.
39: June 23, at St. Louis (Kile), 1.
40: July 12, at Seattle (Abbott), 0.
41: July 18, vs. Colorado (Hampton), 0.
42: July 18, vs. Colorado (Hampton), 1.
43: July 26, at Arizona (Schilling), 0.
44: July 26, at Arizona (Schilling), 3.
45: July 27, at Arizona (Anderson), 0.
46: Aug. 1, vs. Pittsburgh (Beimel), 0.
47: Aug. 4, vs. Philadelphia (Figueroa), 1.
48: Aug. 7, at Cincinnati (Graves), 0.
49: Aug. 9, at Cincinnati (Winchester), 0.
50: Aug. 11, at CUBS (Borowski), 2.
51: Aug. 14, vs. Florida (Bones), 3.
52: Aug. 16, vs. Florida (Burnett), 0.
53: Aug. 16, vs. Florida (Darensbourg), 2.
54: Aug. 18, vs. Atlanta (Marquis), 0.
55: Aug. 23, at Montreal (Lloyd), 0.
56: Aug. 27, at New York Mets (Appier), 0.
57: Aug. 31, vs. Colorado (Thomson), 1.
58: Sept. 3, vs. Colorado (Jennings), 0.
59: Sept. 4, vs. Arizona (Batista), 0.
60: Sept. 6, vs. Arizona (Lopez), 0.
61: Sept. 9, at Colorado (Elarton), 0.
62: Sept. 9, at Colorado (Elarton), 0.
63: Sept. 9, at Colorado (Belitz), 2.
64: Sept. 20, vs. Houston (Miller), 1.
65: Sept. 23, at S.D. (Middlebrook), 0.
66: Sept. 23, at S.D. (Middlebrook), 0.
67: Sept. 24, at Los Angeles (Baldwin), 0.
68: Sept. 28, vs. S.D. (Middlebrook), 0.
69: Sept. 29, vs. S.D. (McElroy), 0.
70: Oct. 4, vs. Houston (W.Rodriguez), 0.
