http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/296769.html
Hammerin' away: Bonds now within 1 of Aaron
By Martin McNeal - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:37 am PDT Saturday, July 28, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
SAN FRANCISCO -- About an hour before Friday night's first pitch, Barry Bonds sat in front of his locker fiddling with the remote control for the TV set about five feet away from his face.
When asked how he felt, Bonds said, "I feel great."
An hour and 15 minutes later, Bonds gave the first indication of how good he felt when he took Florida right-hander Rick Vanden Hurk's 2-1 offering an estimated 420 feet into the left-center field stands for the 754th home run of his storied and controversial career.
The home run moved Bonds within one of all-time leader Hank Aaron's 755 career total and overshadowed the Giants' 12-10 victory.
Bonds and most of the rest of the announced crowd of 42,831 at AT&T Park immediately recognized the deal. He stood and watched; they stood, watched and cheered. Vanden Hurk became the 444th pitcher off whom Bonds has homered.
It was Bonds' 20th homer of the season, the 19th time he has reached that total during his career. Only Aaron did it in more seasons (20).
That Bonds had included Vanden Hurk in his club of victims was not exactly happenstance. Bonds wasn't watching "The Love Boat" on the tube in the corner.
"I was watching the guy who is pitching," he said. "I don't really watch other games, unless it's a team we're going to be playing. I will watch the Dodgers, especially if we're playing them soon."
Bonds said after the game that he'd been impressed by Vanden Hurk's stuff on tape, but that it was altered after giving up the first-inning home run. Vanden Hurk gave up the first two of the four walks Bonds received in his final at-bats.
"He was throwing his arm out of the socket," Bonds joked about Vanden Hurk's pitches after the home run.
"His velocity went way up. He's got a great curveball. He kind of turned up the dial, though, and it goes to show it's not how hard you throw the ball, but where you throw it."
Back-to-back homers by Pedro Feliz and Bengie Molina in the bottom of the fifth took Giants starter Barry Zito off the hook for his 11th defeat in 18 decisions. Feliz' three-run blast down the left-field line brought the Giants within 6-5 and Molina tied the game 6-6 with a high-arching solo drive.
The game remained tied just two pitches into the top of the sixth. Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramírez drove reliever Kevin Correia's third pitch deep into the left-center field seats to give Florida a 7-6 advantage.
However, on this cool, clear night, AT&T Park didn't hold too many leads for too long.
Randy Winn, who entered the game in a double switch when Correia was replaced by Vinnie Chulk in the top of the sixth, led off with a double off the outstretched glove of center fielder Alfredo Amezaga, who had just entered the game. Amezaga momentarily appeared to make a great diving catch on the line shot directly over his head, but the ball bounced out of his glove upon contact with the ground.
Dave Roberts struck out after three failed bunt attempts, but Omar Vizquel tied the game with a single to score Winn and advanced to second on Amezaga's error. Durham then lined a two-run homer into the left-field seats to give the Giants the lead for good at 9-7. The homer was a season high-tying fourth of the game for the Giants.
After they scored three more runs in the sixth to take a 12-7 lead, the only mystery remaining was whether Bonds would hit his second homer of the night to tie Aaron's mark.
He had one more opportunity with the Giants leading 12-8. Bonds led off the bottom of the eighth against left-hander Taylor Tankersley, who quickly moved ahead with two strikes. However, four consecutive pitches out of the strike zone followed and it was left to another day for Bonds to make history.
About the writer: The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
Hammerin' away: Bonds now within 1 of Aaron
By Martin McNeal - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:37 am PDT Saturday, July 28, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
SAN FRANCISCO -- About an hour before Friday night's first pitch, Barry Bonds sat in front of his locker fiddling with the remote control for the TV set about five feet away from his face.
When asked how he felt, Bonds said, "I feel great."
An hour and 15 minutes later, Bonds gave the first indication of how good he felt when he took Florida right-hander Rick Vanden Hurk's 2-1 offering an estimated 420 feet into the left-center field stands for the 754th home run of his storied and controversial career.
The home run moved Bonds within one of all-time leader Hank Aaron's 755 career total and overshadowed the Giants' 12-10 victory.
Bonds and most of the rest of the announced crowd of 42,831 at AT&T Park immediately recognized the deal. He stood and watched; they stood, watched and cheered. Vanden Hurk became the 444th pitcher off whom Bonds has homered.
It was Bonds' 20th homer of the season, the 19th time he has reached that total during his career. Only Aaron did it in more seasons (20).
That Bonds had included Vanden Hurk in his club of victims was not exactly happenstance. Bonds wasn't watching "The Love Boat" on the tube in the corner.
"I was watching the guy who is pitching," he said. "I don't really watch other games, unless it's a team we're going to be playing. I will watch the Dodgers, especially if we're playing them soon."
Bonds said after the game that he'd been impressed by Vanden Hurk's stuff on tape, but that it was altered after giving up the first-inning home run. Vanden Hurk gave up the first two of the four walks Bonds received in his final at-bats.
"He was throwing his arm out of the socket," Bonds joked about Vanden Hurk's pitches after the home run.
"His velocity went way up. He's got a great curveball. He kind of turned up the dial, though, and it goes to show it's not how hard you throw the ball, but where you throw it."
Back-to-back homers by Pedro Feliz and Bengie Molina in the bottom of the fifth took Giants starter Barry Zito off the hook for his 11th defeat in 18 decisions. Feliz' three-run blast down the left-field line brought the Giants within 6-5 and Molina tied the game 6-6 with a high-arching solo drive.
The game remained tied just two pitches into the top of the sixth. Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramírez drove reliever Kevin Correia's third pitch deep into the left-center field seats to give Florida a 7-6 advantage.
However, on this cool, clear night, AT&T Park didn't hold too many leads for too long.
Randy Winn, who entered the game in a double switch when Correia was replaced by Vinnie Chulk in the top of the sixth, led off with a double off the outstretched glove of center fielder Alfredo Amezaga, who had just entered the game. Amezaga momentarily appeared to make a great diving catch on the line shot directly over his head, but the ball bounced out of his glove upon contact with the ground.
Dave Roberts struck out after three failed bunt attempts, but Omar Vizquel tied the game with a single to score Winn and advanced to second on Amezaga's error. Durham then lined a two-run homer into the left-field seats to give the Giants the lead for good at 9-7. The homer was a season high-tying fourth of the game for the Giants.
After they scored three more runs in the sixth to take a 12-7 lead, the only mystery remaining was whether Bonds would hit his second homer of the night to tie Aaron's mark.
He had one more opportunity with the Giants leading 12-8. Bonds led off the bottom of the eighth against left-hander Taylor Tankersley, who quickly moved ahead with two strikes. However, four consecutive pitches out of the strike zone followed and it was left to another day for Bonds to make history.
About the writer: The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
