Bonds Hits No. 747 As Giants Edge Blue Jays

Jun 12, 03:15 AM

Current Headlines:

San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Barry Bonds inched closer to Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, smashing the 747th of his career, as the Giants edged the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game series.

Matt Morris (7-3) gave up three runs in the first inning, but rebounded to pitch his third complete game of the season and 23rd of his career. It was the second straight time he's gone the distance, also accomplishing the feat in a 1-0 loss at Arizona last Wednesday.

Morris allowed seven hits with a walk and struck out four, and also got help from his fielders, especially Dave Roberts, who crashed into the wall in center field to take an extra-base hit away from Aaron Hill in the ninth inning.

Bonds, who stands eight homers shy of tying Aaron, hit an 0-1 pitch from Josh Towers over the wall in right-center field, an estimated 438 feet, to tie the game with no outs in the fourth inning. Ryan Klesko singled prior to Bonds' blast, which evened the score at 3-3.

This was the end of a long homer drought for Bonds, who hadn't hit one in his previous 12 games. His last one came against Colorado's Taylor Buchholz on May 27 at AT&T Park.

It was Bonds' 13th homer of the season and the first game he was facing Towers in his career. Bonds has homered off a major league-record 440 pitchers in his career.

It was just the third homer for the seven-time National League MVP since May 8. The shot also ended a 33 at-bat drought without a homer. He had missed a pair of games last week against Arizona due to shin splints.

Ray Durham followed Bonds with a double to right and Bengie Molina singled. Durham then scored on an Omar Vizquel squeeze bunt to give the Giants the lead for good, as they snapped a three-game skid and won for the fifth time in their last 17 games.

Adam Lind led off the seventh with a double, but the Blue Jays left him stranded and Morris retired the final nine batters he faced. Hill belted a ball to center, but Roberts banged into the wall to make the grab for the second out of the ninth. Lind grounded out to second base to end the game.

Towers (2-4) surrendered five hits and four runs -- three earned -- before being lifted after the fourth inning.

Hill had a two-run double for the Blue Jays, who lost for the fourth time in six games.

Alex Rios doubled to left field to start the game and Matt Stairs walked. Two outs later, Hill doubled to left-center field, as Bonds couldn't get the ball in the gap. Lind then singled Hill home to put San Francisco in a three-run hole.

Roberts singled to lead off the bottom of the inning, stole second, went to third on Jason Phillips' throwing error and scored on a Klesko groundout.

Game Notes

The Blue Jays are 0-4 all-time in San Francisco...Before the game, the Giants recalled outfielder Nate Schierholtz from Triple-A Fresno and optioned outfielder Daniel Ortmeier to Fresno. Schierholtz took over in right field in the ninth inning...Bonds was intentionally walked in the sixth and grounded into a double play in the eighth to end his 1-for-3 night...The Giants snapped a six-game skid at home...The Giants had been held scoreless for 21 straight innings until the fourth inning.

06/12 02:40:51 ET