Bonds Blasts, Draws Within 1

No. 754 Comes In First Inning

SAN FRANCISCO, July 27 -- Barry Bonds touched home plate early Friday evening, at the end of his trot around the bases for career home run No. 754, and the great tectonic plates that tremble imperceptibly beneath the surface of baseball's foundation began to rumble and shift, the tremors felt across the game. History is in the making, and it could happen with Bonds's next swing.

No. 754 was launched into a blue sky in the bottom of the first inning Friday night, when Bonds, the San Francisco Giants' left fielder, whipped his shiny black bat through the strike zone and crushed a 2-1 change-up from Florida Marlins pitcher Rick Vanden Hurk over the fence in left-center field at AT&T Park.

The home run in the Giants' 12-10 win ended a seven-day drought for Bonds, 43, and moved him within one of Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755, considered arguably the most important number in American sports. Aaron's name has stood unchallenged atop the all-time home run list since he passed Babe Ruth in 1974.

"It felt good, real good," Bonds said. "It's sinking in now."

With Bonds due to make several more plate appearances in a game that began at 10:15 p.m. Eastern time, it seemed possible everyone back East -- including those, such as Aaron and Commissioner Bud Selig, on their way to Cooperstown, N.Y., for Sunday's Hall of Fame induction -- could awake Saturday to the realization Aaron suddenly was no longer alone atop that list.

But the suddenly jittery Marlins pitching staff walked Bonds in each of his next four plate appearances, each free pass greeted by jeers and boos from the announced crowd of 42,831.

Vanden Hurk, a rookie from the Netherlands who was making his ninth career start and had never before faced Bonds, started Bonds with three fastballs, the last of which was a called strike that prompted Bonds to turn around, shake his head and mouth the word "No" to home-plate umpire Mike Reilly.

Perhaps Vanden Hurk was emboldened by the strike call, because the fateful fourth pitch of the at-bat, an 84-mph change-up, caught the outside half of the plate -- a pitch Bonds, nonetheless, has consistently missed in recent days. But this time, he did not miss.

The crowd, already on its feet from the moment Bonds strode to the plate, let out a collective gasp as the ball, numbered and marked to prove its authenticity, sailed over the 404-foot sign to the left of straightaway center. As the crowd's gasp turned into a roar, Bonds paused near the batter's box to watch the ball's flight before raising his fist and beginning his slow trot around the bases.

The crowd still was cheering wildly at the end of the inning as Bonds ambled out to left field, and he responded by removing his cap and smiling. The giant video screen in center field played a taped message of congratulations from Michael Jordan.

Until Friday's first inning, the glacial pace of the home run chase seemed to have sucked the life out of Bonds, his Giants teammates and AT&T Park as a whole. Bonds had not homered since bashing Nos. 752 and 753 in Chicago on July 19, and he had not homered at AT&T Park since June 29. The Giants, meantime, had settled deep into last place in their division, the clubhouse growing impatient at both the excessive losing and the swelling media pack that ignored everything except as it related to Bonds.

"The sooner the better," Giants owner Peter Magowan said prior to Friday's game in regard to Bonds's record. "I think we'll start winning more consistently once we get this behind us."

With Bonds now on the doorstep of Aaron's record, his playing schedule will come under closer scrutiny. The Giants have home games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon against the Marlins before departing for a six-game road trip to Los Angeles and San Diego, which begins Tuesday.

"I'm playing [both games], as far as I'm aware of," Bonds said of San Francisco's remaining contests this weekend against Florida.

Both Bonds and the Giants have said they hope he can hit the record-tying and record-breaking homers at home, but also have said they will not manipulate his schedule or his swing to prevent it from occurring on the road.

"It is a momentous occasion . . . and I don't think that can be taken away from Barry Bonds," Magowan said. "When he breaks this record, he will have achieved something truly meaningful that I think will stand the test of time."