Bonds Ends Drought With 746th Home Run

SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds preferred to play right through his slump. 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 Hank Aaron's career record 755.

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!"

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.

Buchholz became the 439th different pitcher to surrender a home run to Bonds, who earlier ended an 0-for-17 stretch with a leadoff single in the fourth.

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).

He tipped his hat as he walked out to left field to a standing ovation in the top of the seventh.

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.

Matt Holliday hit a go-ahead two-run triple in the fifth for his 12th extra-base hit in his last 21. Buchholz, trying to beat the Giants for the first time in three May tries, struck out five and didn't walk a batter in seven innings - matching his longest outing of the year which he also did in his previous start May 19 against Kansas City.

Helton added a run-scoring single and Iannetta tripled in a run.

Bonds flied out to left leading off the second then singled to left-center to start the fourth to end his 0-for-17 funk. He stole his second base moments later for No. 511 of his career. Bonds reached third on Molina's groundout, but the Giants couldn't drive him home.

After Bonds' single, Buchholz retired the next seven San Francisco hitters in order before Rich Aurilia's infield single in the sixth. Bonds followed with the homer.

The slugger is scheduled to get a break Tuesday night, when the Giants open a three-game series at Shea Stadium.

Fred Lewis blooped a two-out double to right in the third that scored Kevin Frandsen from second for the Giants' first run, breaking a scoreless tie. The Rockies answered in the top of the fourth on Iannetta's RBI triple.

Notes:@ Bonds had a 21 at-bat hitless stretch from April 5-12, 2001 - the year he broke the single-season home run record with 73 - and had a career-worst 0-for-23 drought from July 6-20, 1986, during his rookie year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. ... Giants 2B Ray Durham, injured Saturday night, had an MRI exam on his strained abdominal muscle and could be headed for the disabled list.