National League
Getting off to a quick start on his quest to become Major League Baseball's all-time home-run king, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit his first home run of the season on Wednesday.
Bonds drilled his 735th career home run over the left-center field wall in the first inning of a 5-3 home loss to the San Diego Padres.
PHOTO: AFP
The homer came in Bonds' second game of the season and moved the 42-year-old within 20 of tying Hank Aaron's record.
"It is not a countdown yet, it's not close enough, we are just trying to get ourselves going right now," Bonds told reporters after the Giants lost their second straight game.
Asked when it becomes a countdown. Bonds replied, "When it's about 750."
PHOTO: AP
"And we better hope that it is not towards the end of September," he added.
To pass Aaron, the seven-time Most Valuable Player will need to hit more home runs than anyone who turned 43 during a season.
A near-capacity crowd of 39,938 greeted Bonds with big cheers every time he stepped up to the plate and he went 1-for-4 in the game, striking out once.
With the homer, he passed his godfather, Willie Mays, for the most runs scored in the Giants' San Francisco era. He now has 1,481.
Bonds also hustled to catch a flyball for the third out in the top of the first inning.
"It was a long run for someone my age," Bonds added.
The on-field drama takes place amid a continuing federal investigation into whether Bonds lied to an earlier grand jury when he said he never knowingly used steroids.
The grand jury meets every Thursday to deliberate over the veracity of Bonds' statements.
Nationals 7, Marlins 6
Dmitri Young hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the ninth to complete Washington's comeback from a five-run deficit, and the Nationals beat the Florida Marlins 7-6 in Washington on Wednesday.
Young hit an arching ball toward the left-field corner, and outfielder Josh Willingham let it drop in, hoping it would land foul. Robert Fick delivered an RBI single earlier in a three-run ninth off Jorge Julio (0-1).
Jon Rauch (1-0) struck out the only two batters he faced in the top half.
Miguel Cabrera, Mike Jacobs and Cody Ross homered as Florida built leads of 5-0 and 6-1, but Ryan Church hit a three-run homer off Anibal Sanchez in the sixth.
Rockies 11, Diamondbacks 4
At Denver, Rodrigo Lopez (1-0) gave up two runs -- one earned -- and six hits in seven innings for his first win since Aug. 17, and Matt Holliday backed him with four hits and four RBIs.
Last year, Lopez led the major leagues with 18 losses and dropped his final six decisions.
Doug Davis (0-1) made his Arizona debut and allowed three first-inning runs -- all unearned due to two errors by first baseman Conor Jackson. Davis lasted five innings, allowing eight hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
Mets 10, Cardinals 0
At St. Louis, John Maine (1-0) kept St. Louis' bats quiet and Carlos Beltran homered twice and drove in four runs, helping New York sweep the World Series champion.
Jose Reyes also homered and had three RBIs for the Mets, who were 8-1 to start last season en route to an NL-high 97 wins before they were eliminated by the Cardinals in the NLCS.
The season-opening series is for much lower stakes, of course, although the Mets were able to spoil a pair of World Series celebrations while outscoring the Cardinals 20-2.
Braden Looper (0-1) made his first major league start after 572 relief appearances. Looper, who saved 57 games for the Mets in 2004 and '05, didn't allow a runner in scoring position until the sixth when Beltran hit a two-run homer.
In Wednesday's other National League games it was:
* Braves 3, Phillies 2, 11 innings
* Cubs 4, Reds 1
* Pirates 5, Astros 4
* Dodgers 5, Brewers 4
American League
Ervin Santana held the Texas Rangers to four hits in seven innings, Gary Matthews Jr. robbed Michael Young of a home run with a leaping catch in center and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Rangers 5-3 in the American League on Wednesday.
The Angels, off to only the fourth 3-0 start in franchise history, outscored the Rangers 17-7 and left Texas rookie manager Ron Washington looking for his first victory.
Los Angeles took a 4-0 lead in the first off Brandon McCarthy (0-1), with two of the runs unearned because of shortstop Michael Young's error. Vladimir Guerrero singled home one run and Garret Anderson doubled in another.
Santana (1-0) gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings with six strikeouts, and Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his second save.
Tigers 10, Blue Jays 9
At Detroit, Curtis Granderson hit his first career grand slam, a drive off the top of the wall, and tied his career high with five RBIs as Detroit built a 9-0 lead.
Nate Robertson (1-0) allowed two runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings, leaving after Aaron Hill's two-run homer.
Toronto closed with seven runs in the eighth off relievers Jason Grilli and Fernando Rodney but the potential tying run was stranded at third when Magglio Ordonez made a running catch of Troy Glaus' drive to right-center. Todd Jones worked the ninth for his first save -- after Toronto put two on with one out, Jason Smith flied out and Reed Johnson popped out.
Indians 8, White Sox 7
At Chicago, Grady Sizemore hit a two-run, two-out homer off Matt Thornton (0-1) to overcome a 7-6 deficit in the seventh inning, and Jason Michaels made a game-ending catch on Joe Crede's drive with two on while falling down backward at the warning track.
Aaron Fultz (1-0) went two-thirds of an inning for the win, and Joe Borowski got three outs for the save around a pair of walks.
Twins 7, Orioles 2
At Minneapolis, Ramon Ortiz (1-0) allowed two runs in seven innings in his Minnesota debut, helping it complete a three-game sweep of Baltimore.
Michael Cuddyer had three singles and two RBIs before leaving with a cut on his chin in the fifth inning for the Twins, who smacked around Jaret Wright in his first start for the Orioles.
Red Sox 7, Royals 1
At Kansas City, Missouri, J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell hit back-to-back doubles in a three-run first inning and Josh Beckett held Kansas City to two hits through five chilly innings for Boston.
Kevin Youkilis added a two-run home run off reliever Todd Wellemeyer in the seventh to make it 6-1 as the temperature dipped to 39 degrees F (4 C).
Beckett (1-0) allowed a two-out double to Mark Teahen in the first and a two-out double to Ross Gload in the fourth. He had five strikeouts and four walks.
After giving up three runs in the first, Odalis Perez (0-1) retired 13 of 15 before walking Manny Ramirez with one out in the sixth.
Athletics 9, Mariners 0
At Seattle, Rich Harden allowed three singles and struck out seven in seven innings to lead Oakland to its first win of the season.
Mark Ellis, batting in the ninth spot in the order, drove in five runs -- and seven in the final two games of the series -- as the A's avoided their first 0-3 start since 1996.
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