Coors Field bracing for Bonds barrage

? Barry Bonds and the surging San Francisco Giants open a four-game series in Colorado today that will pit the game’s best home-run hitter against the worst pitching staff in baseball at a park notoriously tough on pitchers.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle used to have his staff pitch to Bonds, but those days are over. Bonds hit a two-run, game-winning homer against Colorado on Saturday, part of a three-homer outburst in four games.

“We won’t pitch to him unless we have to,” Hurdle said. “We weren’t able to follow our game plan in San Francisco. We had a conversation about that.”

It could be tough for the Rockies at Coors Field this weekend.

The Rockies’ pitching staff has a major league-worst 5.86 ERA and has given up 300 earned runs, more than any other team. Only Baltimore has surrendered more walks, with 241 through Wednesday to 223 for the Rockies.

Coors Field, of course, is a hitter’s park. There have been 75 home runs in 25 games this season, most in the majors. Most home runs in a season? The ballpark holds the top three spots in history, led by 303 in 1999.

“I think it’s a good baseball park,” Giants manager Felipe Alou said. “You stay with your starting pitchers longer. You don’t try to get thrown out running bases, but we don’t run anyway.”

Bonds, hitting .361 and leading the majors with 69 walks through Wednesday, has a .323 average at Coors Field, including 20 homers. Three home runs came in 2002 in a game that included a 492-foot blast off Denny Stark — the third-longest homer in Coors Field history.

Whether Hurdle keeps his word and pitches around Bonds is anyone’s guess. Bonds drew 148 walks last year, 198 in 2002 and 177 during the 2001 season when hit a single-season-best 73 homers.

Alou said Bonds hasn’t complain about being walked.

“The only complaint I’ve heard from Barry so far in two years is that his legs get real tired from being on base so many times,” he said.