Bonds one away from Ruth on all-time list

With a national audience watching, Barry Bonds moved closer to one of the country's biggest icons.

Bonds moved within one home run of Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time home run list Sunday with a prodigious blast off Jon Lieber in the sixth inning of the San Francisco Giants' game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The home run was Bonds' fifth of the season and 713th in his legendary career.

"I think (714) is the greatest thing," Bonds said. "It's awesome. I really do. I may not show it a lot though, but that's just me trying to keep my head screwed on straight. It's overwhelming right now. It's a little bit larger than a single-season record home run."

Bonds belted a 2-1 pitch from Lieber an estimated 450 feet off the facade of the upper deck in right field at Citizens Bank Park, cutting the Giants' deficit to 5-3.

"They tell me that's the way the Babe used to hit them," Giants manager Felipe Alou said.

It was the third plate appearance for Bonds, who was walked intentionally in the first and singled in the fourth.

Bonds had entered the contest just 5-for-36 in his career against Lieber.

"It was a sinker, he didn't miss," Lieber said. "He knows the type of pitcher I am. I'm gonna challenge him. That's what happens when you fall behind hitters like that."

Bonds struck out in his final plate appearance of San Francisco's 9-5 loss - the Giants' seventh loss in their last eight games.

"We have to win ballgames," Bonds said. "We haven't playing well and the most important thing is to win games. It's a lot more gratifying if you win. Right now, we haven't been playing good."

The 41-year-old Bonds is 42 homers behind Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755. However, Bonds has stated that he doubts he will ever catch Aaron due to age and mounting injuries.

Sunday's contest was the finale of San Francisco's five-game road trip. The Giants begin a seven-game homestand Monday, when they make up a previously rained out game against the Houston Astros.

"I got to watch it," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of No. 713. "He hit it pretty good. I'm glad he's leaving town too, because he's getting ready to get hot. He hit two balls hard tonight. Once he gets his timing down, he'll hit a few more (home runs)."

Bonds will try to move alongside Ruth against Roy Oswalt. He is 4-for-4 with a homer and two doubles and a triple in his career against the Astros' ace.

The Giants also will host the Chicago Cubs and archrival Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series.

It would be fitting if Bonds hit Nos. 714 and 715 at ATT Park, where he has hit many of his historic blasts.

Bonds hit No. 600 there in 2002, along with 660 and 661 in April 2004 to tie and pass godfather Willie Mays for third place on the all-time list. He hit his 700th into "McCovey Cove" on September 14, 2004.

Bonds' place in history once was secure, however the slugger has dealt with rumors of steroid use since setting the single-season homer record with 73 in 2001. He never has failed a drug test, but a new book alleged that he took a variety of performance-enhancing drugs over at least five seasons beginning in 1998.

Written by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, "Game of Shadows" says Bonds engaged in persistent doping, taking four different kinds of steroids as well as insulin and human growth hormone during his record-breaking season, when he broke Mark McGwire's home run record.

The allegations led to Selig appointing former United States Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to head an investigation into the alleged steroid use by Bonds and other major league players associated with the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) on March 30.

With the added pressure of the investigation, along with a nagging knee injury that forced him to miss most of last season, Bonds had gotten off to a slow start this season.

He did not homer until his 31st at-bat - his longest drought to start a campaign since a drought of 54 at-bats at the beginning of the 1998 season. However, Bonds has gone on to hit five in his next 33 at-bats.
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