National League Roundup: Bonds blasts pair for Giants

San Francisco slugger closing in on McGwire, Robinson

? Barry Bonds keeps moving up the career home run list, and even his opponents are in awe.

Bonds homered twice to move within one of Mark McGwire for fifth place all-time, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 10-5 victory over Florida on Saturday.

Bonds went 3-for-3 with two walks, giving him 582 career homers, one behind McGwire and four behind Frank Robinson.

“He has more power than anyone in the game right now,” Florida’s Eric Owens said. “Even with the wind blowing in at 50 mph, those balls are still going out as hard as he hit them.”

Bonds hit a two-run drive off Brad Penny (3-3) in the second inning and a solo shot against Vic Darensbourg in the sixth to give him 15 homers this season, tying Lance Berkman and Sammy Sosa for the major league lead. Both shots landed in McCovey Cove, a body of water beyond right field.

Bonds has 59 career multihomer games, fifth on the career list.

Kirk Rueter (6-1) won his sixth straight decision, and Robb Nen earned his 14th save.

Giants manager Dusty Baker left the dugout and was helped to the clubhouse in the eighth inning after feeling dizzy. Tests showed he was slightly dehydrated.

Giants trainer Stan Conte said the spell was unrelated to Baker’s surgery for prostate cancer in December.

Rockies 7, Braves 3

Denver Denny Stark made his second strong start for Colorado and added a two-run homer for his first career hit.

Jose Ortiz was 4-for-4, and Bobby Estalella drove in three runs for the Rockies, who are 10-2 at home since Clint Hurdle replaced Buddy Bell as manager on April 26.

Stark (2-0) has been dominant since being called up Monday from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He allowed one run on four hits and struck out five in seven innings. He pitched six scoreless innings in a 7-3 victory Monday over Florida.

Reds 7, Cardinals 3

St. Louis Juan Encarnacion hit a two-run homer, and Todd Walker was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles as Cincinnati ended the Cardinals’ season-best five-game winning streak.

Jose Rijo (4-1) allowed two runs in five innings for the Reds, who lead the NL Central and the Cardinals by five games. Encarnacion’s homer ended 17 straight scoreless innings by Matt Morris (6-3).

Astros 2, Pirates 1

Houston Jose Vizcaino hit a game-winning homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Astros their seventh straight win.

Vizcaino hit the first pitch from Sean Lowe (1-2) to extend Houston’s longest winning streak in three seasons. It was Vizcaino’s first homer since June 15 and just his second since June 4, 1999.

Reliever Octavio Dotel (2-1) pitched two hitless innings as Houston handed Pittsburgh it fourth straight loss and sixth in the seven games.

Brewers 3, Cubs 1

Milwaukee Jose Cabrera pitched five scoreless innings in his second career start, and the Brewers handed Chicago its ninth straight loss. Cabrera (2-4) allowed four hits, walked two and struck out four as the Brewers beat Jon Lieber (3-3) for the second time in six days.

D’backs 5, Phillies 4

Phoenix Junior Spivey homered off Jose Mesa (1-3) in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Erubiel Durazo hit his fourth home run in two nights as Arizona rallied again to beat Philadelphia. Durazo’s home run tied it at 4 in the seventh. Luis Gonzalez added a two-run homer for Arizona.

Curt Schilling, trying to become the season’s first nine-game winner, struck out 12 in eight innings but gave up four runs in the third and a season-high 10 hits in all. He is yet to beat his former team.

Mets 5, Padres 2

San Diego Roberto Alomar hit a two-run homer in a four-run first inning, and New York won its fifth straight game.

Joe McEwing added a two-run single in the first as the Mets jumped on San Diego starter Brett Tomko (3-3) on night after beating the Padres 13-4 for their highest-scoring game of the season.

Expos 3, Dodgers 1

Los Angeles Fernando Tatis and Orlando Cabrera homered, and Carl Pavano pitched into the eighth as Montreal ended a five-game losing streak. Pavano (3-5) allowed one run and six hits in 713 innings. Odalis Perez (4-2) lost for the first time in eight starts.