Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Barry Bonds shook off an early season slump to hit his 736th and 737th career homers before being lifted in the fourth inning, helping Russ Ortiz end a 12-game losing streak in the San Francisco Giants' 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

Bonds, hitting .192 with only one homer in 26 at-bats coming into the game, hit a two-run shot down the right-field line in the second inning off Zach Duke and a deeper shot in the right-center stands in the fourth off Shawn Chacon. The 42-year-old Bonds needs 19 more homers to break Hank Aaron's record.

With the Giants up 8-2 by the fourth, Bonds was lifted following his 70th career multihomer game, two short of Babe Ruth's record of 72.

Ortiz, bidding for his first complete game since Sept. 4, 2004, allowed Chris Duffy's three-run homer with two outs in the ninth before Vinnie Chulk retired Jack Wilson for the final out.

Before the game, Bonds joked about his pursuit of Aaron's record and the 3,000-hit mark -- he is 151 hits away -- by saying he would settle for three more hits. He had them less than halfway through the game.

Bonds singled in the first run of a five-run first against left-hander Zach Duke (1-1), who returned to last season's pattern of getting into trouble in the opening inning. Pedro Feliz added an RBI double and, after Randy Winn was intentionally walked to get to him, Ortiz helped himself with a two-run double off Duke.

No doubt Ortiz (1-1) was willing to do anything to break his 20-month losing streak, which dated to an Aug. 29, 2005, victory against San Diego while with Arizona. He was 0-8 last season with the Diamondbacks and Orioles and lost his first decision with the Giants.

Ortiz kept another streak going, Pittsburgh's 0-4 home record -- one that had some fans chanting, "Let's Go, Pens" by the eighth inning. The Pirates have dropped six of seven since sweeping a three-game series in Houston to start the season.

Maybe it was fitting Bonds broke out of his minislump against the Pirates, the team with whom he made his major league debut 21 years ago. If he breaks Aaron's record and retires after this season, Bonds possibly may retire, so this could be his final playing appearance in Pittsburgh.

Of Bonds' 737 homers, 96 have been hit in Pittsburgh: 89 in Three Rivers Stadium, his home stadium from 1986-92, and seven in 39 at-bats in PNC Park, which opened in 2001.

Duke, coming off two effective starts, was lifted after allowing seven runs and seven hits in two innings to jump his ERA from 3.46 to 7.20. Ortiz allowed 10 hits, struck out seven and walked one.

Ortiz's losing streak lasted over 31 games and 16 starts, a stretch in which he gave up 75 earned runs in 86 2-3 innings.

Notes: The Giants scored only 20 runs in their first nine games. Bonds' two homers also equals the Giants' output in those nine games. ... Bonds was coming off a 1-for-8 series against San Diego. ... By winning, the Giants (3-7) avoided being 2-8 for the first time since 1982. They had dropped four of five. ... The Giants halted a six-game losing streak against Pittsburgh that dated to last season. They were swept in a three-game series there in July, their only trip to Pittsburgh last season. ... Pirates LHP John Grabow (elbow) was moved to Triple-A Indianapolis on a rehabilitation assignment. ... Duke was the 436th pitcher to allow a Bonds homer. Bonds homered off Chacon twice previously. ... Bonds' four RBIs were as many as he had previously this season. ... If the weather cooperates Sunday -- and the forecast calls for rain and snow -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy plans to play Bonds in all three games of the series, partly because of his Pittsburgh ties.

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