Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Bonds hits No. 56
By BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK — Barry Bonds put away his earring, not his power stroke.
Bonds hit his major league-leading 56th home run Monday, becoming the fastest player to ever reach the mark as the San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 6-5.
J.T. Snow hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as San Francisco averted a four-game sweep at Shea Stadium and moved a half-game ahead of idle Chicago in the wild card race.
“J.T. won the game for us,” Bonds said. “Every game is important for us right now.”
Bonds also doubled, singled and walked. Needing a triple for the cycle — he hit one Sunday night — he grounded out in the ninth.
The Giants' slugger recently removed the diamond stud he wears in his left ear. He did it because of an infection, not this weekend's flap involving Seattle reliever Arthur Rhodes' irritation over being ordered to remove his earrings.
“It was bleeding, so I took it out to let it heal,” he said.
Rick White (3-5) retired Bonds and Jeff Kent on grounders to start the ninth. But John Vander Wal singled and Snow hit his seventh homer of the season and second of the series for a 6-4 lead.
With the Little League champions from Japan in the ballpark and the U.S. Open tennis tournament starting right across the street, Bonds was the biggest star of the afternoon.
After Rich Aurilia homered to lead off the fifth inning, Bonds followed with a high drive to right-center field for his 550th career home run.
Bonds connected in the Giants' 131st game. The previous quickest to hit 56 homers was Sammy Sosa, who did it in the Cubs' 132nd game in 1999.
“It was a fastball, probably the only one I got,” Bonds said. “I knew I had it.”
Mets starter Kevin Appier wasn't so sure.
“When he first hit it, I thought it was a deep out,” he said. “But when I saw it drifting, I said, "Oh no!”'
Bonds hit his first home run at Shea Stadium since May 28, 1995, off Dave Mlicki.
“I didn't know about a drought until someone came up and told me,” he said. “It's one stadium. I don't hit well in Colorado, either. You get your hits, you just don't get it out of the ballpark. As long as you win the game, it doesn't matter.”
Sports Stories
QB Kitna's real work lies ahead
Warrick inherits punt-return role
Bengals reject new Smith proposal
Bengals rookie to endow scholarship
Hoover to lead UC against Purdue
Reds' Riedling copes with pain
Reds-Astros Scouting Report
Club seats go on sale in October
Bonds hits No. 56
