Bonds hammers new home-run record
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Your support makes all the difference.Barry Bonds, of the San Francisco Giants, established a new franchise single-season home-run record with a pair of homers, the second a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, that lifted the Giants to a 5-3 victory over the Florida Marlins. With 53 home runs this year, Bonds has surpassed his godfather, the Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays, for the Giants' single-season record set in 1965.
Bonds' first homer came in the fourth innings against A J Burnett and established a new National League record by a left-handed batter – Johnny Mize had 51 for the New York Giants in 1947. Of Bonds' 53 homers, 39 have either given San Francisco the lead, tied the game, extended a lead or brought the club within a run of the lead.
"The game is the first thing," Bonds said after setting his record. "We needed that, to take advantage of all the opportunities we have. We're here to try and win a championship. This is the time you have to excel. The finish line is getting closer and closer."
In Montreal, Lee Stevens delivered a two-run single in the top of the eighth innings as the Expos posted a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ruben Quevedo retired 15 straight batters at one point and Jeromy Burnitz homered as the Milwaukee Brewers ended a four-game home losing streak with a 5-4 triumph over the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was Quevedo's second straight victory. The right hander allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings, then struck out seven and walked one as the Brewers squared the season series with the Phillies at three wins apiece.
In San Diego, Mike Darr's first home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth innings gave the San Diego Padres a 6-5 victory and their first three-game sweep of the New York Mets in six years.
The Padres trailed 5-4 when Damian Jackson singled with one out in the eighth, D'Angelo Jiminez was then out but Darr – who had no homers in 253 at-bats – drove a 3-2 pitch from Rick White over the right-field wall.
"Darr picked a great time to hit his first home run," the San Diego manager, Bruce Bochy, said.
In Denver, the pitcher Kevin Millwood continued his success against the Colorado Rockies as Marcus Giles homered to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 4-1 victory in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Jim Edmonds continued his hot hitting streak and the pitcher Dustin Hermanson beat the Cincinnati Reds for the first time in his career as the St Louis Cardinals won their eighth straight game in a row, 8-3.
* A brawl between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers resulted in five suspensions and four fines. Major League Baseball banned the Royals' first baseman Mike Sweeney for 10 games for starting the trouble and the Tigers catcher Robert Fick eight games for escalating matters. The Kansas pitching coach, Al Nipper, was banned for three games, the Tigers hitting coach, Bill Madlock, for two, and the first-base coach, Juan Samuel, for one.
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