Sep 14, 2006 1:54 am US/Pacific
Bonds' Ninth Inning HR Not Enough To Top Rockies
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ―
Barry Bonds hit one ball over the fence and another almost through it, yet the San Francisco Giants lost ground in the playoff races, falling to the Colorado Rockies 9-8 Wednesday night.
Bonds hit his 732nd career home run and 24th this season leading off the ninth, pulling the slugger within 23 of tying home run king Hank Aaron's record 755. Bonds connected against Brian Fuentes for the second time.
Bonds also hit a crazy ground-rule double for San Francisco, which dropped into third place in the NL wild-card race 2 1/2 games behind San Diego and one behind the Philadelphia Phillies. The Giants are four back of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.
Stepping in to chants of "Barry! Barry!" Bonds lined a shot to right field in the bottom of the fifth that got stuck in a screened part of the wall. The ball became lodged above the reach of Jeff Baker, near an area where fans can watch from outside the ballpark, and resulted in a two-run, ground-rule double.
It was Bonds' 584th career double, moving the slugger past Robin Yount and into sole possession of 15th place on the all-time list.
Despite Bonds' efforts, the Giants couldn't overcome the Rockies seven-run fifth inning that helped Jason Jennings win for the first time in more than six weeks. Colorado right fielder Brad Hawpe made an over-the-shoulder catch with two runners on to preserve the lead and get Fuentes his 26th save in 31 chances.
Jennings (8-12) ended a seven-start winless stretch in which he had dropped his last three decisions since beating the Padres on July 30. He also reached the 200-innings mark for the second time in his career -- a feat accomplished only eight other times in franchise history.
Jennings, who had four straight no-decisions against San Francisco since beating the Giants on June 5, 2004, at Coors Field, allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings, struck out three and walked two. Closer Fuentes threw a wild pitch on his first offering to advance runners to second and third before recovering to get Shea Hillenbrand on a flyout for the third out in the eighth.
With the game tied at 1 in the fifth, the Rockies scored seven runs. Jamey Carroll had an RBI single and Todd Helton walked to chase Noah Lowry (7-9). After a wild pitch scored Jennings, Baker hit a two-run single that made it 5-1.
Chris Iannetta walked for the second time in the inning to bring home another run, then Choo Freeman singled before Jennings grounded out. The seven runs tied the Rockies' most in one inning this year, the third time they've done it.
After Todd Greene's one-out double in the bottom half of the inning, Munter doubled him home for the pitcher's first major league hit in his first career at-bat.
Lowry lost his second straight start, going only 4 1-3 innings after lasting just five innings in his previous outing. He hasn't beaten the Rockies in five starts since a 13-6 victory on April 15, 2005.
Notes: Jennings also pitched 200 innings in 2004. ... San Francisco announced before the game that closer Armando Benitez is done for the season because of inflammation in his right knee. ... The Giants' Mark Sweeney had a pinch-hit single in the seventh for No. 139 of his career, tying him for fifth on the all-time list with Dave Hansen.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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