National LeagueBarry Bonds homered for the first time this season, hitting No. 709 of his career to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Saturday.
The slugger sliced a belt-high fastball from right-hander Aaron Cook (1-3) to left field, moving within five home runs of Babe Ruth for the most by a left-handed hitter. It came in Bonds' 31st at-bat and 13th game this year.
For San Francisco's surly star, it was one of his longest droughts to start a season. In 1998, he didn't homer until his 13th game and 50th at-bat, the longest season-opening drought of his career when healthy.
PHOTO: AP
Brad Hennessey (2-0) allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings for the win. Armando Benitez worked the ninth for his first save, striking out Clint Barmes with runners at second and third to end it.
Before the game, the Rockies placed slugger Todd Helton on the 15-day disabled list with a stomach ailment and scratched third baseman Garrett Atkins with a nasty virus that is making its way through the team's clubhouse.
Ray Durham also hit his first homer of the season for the Giants.
Brewers 11, Reds 0
At Milwaukee, the Brewers became the first major league team in 40 years to hit five home runs in one inning, and Damian Miller went 4-for-4 with three doubles and five RBIs in Milwaukee's rout of Cincinnati.
Dave Bush (2-1) pitched a four-hitter with a season-high nine strikeouts for his second career shutout and fourth complete game. Bill Hall, Miller, Brady Clark, J.J. Hardy and Prince Fielder all homered for Milwaukee in a seven-run fourth.
The last team to hit five homers in an inning was the Minnesota Twins on June 9, 1966, in the seventh against the Kansas City Athletics. Three other teams have accomplished the feat: the 1939 New York Giants, 1949 Philadelphia Phillies and 1961 San Francisco Giants -- all against Cincinnati as well.
Brandon Claussen (1-2) gave up nine runs and eight hits in three-plus innings. He failed to get an out in the fourth while giving up the first four Brewers home runs in the inning.
Cardinals 4, Cubs 1
At St. Louis, Albert Pujols' two-run single with the bases loaded snapped a fifth-inning tie, helping St. Louis grind out a victory over Chicago.
Pujols has six RBIs in the first two games of the series. His two-out bouncer up the middle off Scott Williamson gave the Cardinals, swept earlier this month in Chicago, a chance to sweep the Cubs at home on Sunday.
The Cubs have lost two in a row for the first time this season while totaling four runs without Derrek Lee, out at least two months with two broken bones above his right wrist.
Sidney Ponson (2-0) allowed one run on six hits and four walks in five innings. Braden Looper threw two perfect innings and Jason Isringhausen got three outs for his fifth save.
A pair of two-out walks by Glendon Rusch (1-3) to eighth-place hitter So Taguchi and pinch-hitter John Rodriguez opened the door for the Cardinals' three-run fifth. David Eckstein followed with an RBI single.
Astros 3, Pirates 0
At Houston, Taylor Buchholz threw an eye-opening gem for his first major league win, coming within one out of a one-hit shutout in Houston's victory over Pittsburgh.
The 24-year-old rookie allowed only singles by Jeromy Burnitz in the fifth inning and Jack Wilson in the ninth. Buchholz (1-1) struck out five and walked none in his second career start and fourth appearance.
Craig Biggio hit a solo homer off John Grabow in the seventh inning and scored all three runs. Brad Lidge struck out Jason Bay with two on for his seventh save in seven tries.
Morgan Ensberg had an RBI single and Lance Berkman added a sacrifice fly.
Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell (0-2) allowed six hits and two runs in six innings.
Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4
At Los Angeles, Chad Tracy tied a career high with four hits and equaled a franchise record with three doubles as Arizona edged Los Angeles.
Johnny Estrada homered and Miguel Batista (2-0) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings to get the win.
Jae Seo (0-2) retired just five of the first 14 batters he faced and was removed after giving up Tracy's two-out double in the fourth. The right-hander gave up four runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings, including Estrada's leadoff homer in the second.
Jose Valverde struck out the side in the ninth for his third save in four attempts.
Nomar Garciaparra made his Dodgers debut and went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Mets 8, Padres 1
At San Diego, Pedro Martinez had a season-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings and Carlos Delgado homered in his third consecutive game as New York thrashed San Diego.
Martinez (4-0) allowed just one run and two hits and reached double-digits in strikeouts for the 105th time in his career.
New York began the second inning with solo homers by former Padres outfielder Xavier Nady, who hit a 429-foot shot to left-center, and Ramon Castro off starter Chris Young (2-1).
Mike Piazza homered for San Diego.
Jorge Julio followed Martinez with two scoreless innings to complete the three-hitter.
American League
Roy Halladay shut down Boston for five innings in his return to Toronto's rotation, and Bengie Molina hit a two-run homer in the Blue Jays' 8-1 victory over the Red Sox on Saturday.
Halladay (2-1) missed his scheduled start last Saturday because of stiffness in his right arm. The 2003 American League Cy Young Award winner allowed one run and six hits, striking out two and walking one.
The Blue Jays needed their ace to show he's healthy after placing starter A.J. Burnett on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow injury earlier in the day.
Vernon Wells hit a two-run triple and finished with three hits for the Blue Jays. Troy Glaus had a two-run double. Boston starter Lenny DiNardo (0-1) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in three innings.
Yankees 6, Orioles 1
At New York, Shawn Chacon pitched out of trouble for much of the day, and Hideki Matsui came through with a key two-run double in New York's win over Baltimore.
On Friday, Matsui took a called third strike on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded, ending New York's 6-5 loss. With the score 2-1 in this one, his bases-loaded double chased Daniel Cabrera (1-2) with none out in the sixth inning, just before the rain resumed.
Chacon (2-1) lowered his ERA from 8.03 to 5.59, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings. Derek Jeter drove in two runs.
Angels 5, Athletics 4
At Oakland, California, Garret Anderson went 4-for-4 with another homer and Jeff Weaver earned his first win with his new Los Angeles team in a victory over Oakland.
Weaver (1-2), a 14-game winner for the Dodgers last year, outpitched Dan Haren and got quick outs until Nick Swisher's first career grand slam in the fifth pulled the A's to 5-4.
Weaver struck out five and walked one in six innings. Brendan Donnelly and Scot Shields each worked a scoreless inning, and Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Adam Kennedy added an RBI double and Vladimir Guerrero singled in a run against Haren (0-2), who gave up five runs and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Dan Johnson broke out of his 1-for-37 slump to start the season with three hits for the A's.
White Sox 9, Twins 2
At Chicago, Jermaine Dye hit a three-run homer and Jim Thome added a two-run drive to help the White Sox win their seventh straight game.
Dye also doubled in a run in the fifth and is 9-for-15 with runners in scoring position this season. Freddy Garcia (3-1) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings to win his third straight start.
Thome's shot in the eighth against Jesse Crain made it 9-2. It was his ninth homer in April, tying Chicago's franchise record for the month, set by Frank Thomas in 1996.
The White Sox have won 11 of 12 since they got off to a 1-4 start.
Brad Radke (2-2) worked five innings for Minnesota, giving up 10 hits and six runs. Torii Hunter hit his fifth homer.
Rangers 6, Devil Rays 5
At Arlington, Texas, Michael Young hit a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Texas the win.
Kevin Mench also hit a three-run homer for Texas and has 10 RBIs in the last three games.
Rod Barajas led off the ninth with a single off Tampa Bay reliever Chad Orvella (0-1). Gary Matthews Jr. then hit a grounder to second baseman Jorge Cantu, who threw to second but the umpire ruled shortstop Tomas Perez didn't have his foot on the base.
Pinch-runner Gerald Laird advanced to second and Matthews was safe at first. Shawn Camp relieved Orvella, and Young greeted him with a single to center to drive in Laird. Francisco Cordero (2-2) got the win despite giving up a tying three-run drive to Ty Wigginton in the ninth.
Jonny Gomes also hit his eighth home run for Tampa Bay.
Tigers 2, Mariners 0
At Seattle, Nate Robertson and two relievers combined on a two-hitter, Craig Monroe homered and Detroit beat Seattle.
Robertson (2-2) allowed two hits and two walks and also hit a batter in seven innings. Jamie Walker and Fernando Rodney combined to retire the last six hitters, with Rodney getting his fourth save in four opportunities.
Magglio Ordonez also had two doubles and an RBI for the Tigers, who won their fourth straight game.
Mariners starter Gil Meche (1-1) gave up one run and six hits in six innings and allowed at least one baserunner in five innings.
Royals 11, Indians 5
At Kansas City, Missouri, Emil Brown had three RBIs to help Kansas City snap an 11-game losing streak.
Doug Mientkiewicz doubled, tripled and drove in two runs for the Royals (3-13), who won for the first time since April 8.
Right-hander Paul Byrd (2-2) gave up seven hits and six runs in three innings for Cleveland.
Mike Wood (2-0) allowed just an unearned run and three hits in 4 1-3 innings for the win.
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