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High-yield Bonds Giants' slugger fastest to 50 homers in win against Cubs
Updated: Sunday August 12, 2001 2:07 AM
CHICAGO (AP) -- Barry Bonds prefers hitting homers to talking about them. But when he drove out his career-best 50th Saturday, it was a milestone on several fronts he had to acknowledge. He reached the mark quicker than any player ever has and also became, at age 37, the oldest player to ever hit 50. "It's important. It's something my godfather [Willie Mays] said I should have done years ago," Bonds said Saturday following the San Francisco Giants' 9-4 victory against the Chicago Cubs. "I finally accomplished it and he can leave me alone for a while." Bonds' 50th overshadowed a brilliant performance by Giants starter Livan Hernandez, who went 4-for-4 with a homer of his own while allowing seven hits in eight innings. "He's incredible. He needs to give us tips," Bonds said of Hernandez, who has eight consecutive hits and is 12 for his last 13. Sammy Sosa hit his 41st home run for the Cubs. He homered three times Thursday at Wrigley Field. Still ahead of Mark McGwire's pace when he hit 70 in 1998, Bonds reached his 50th in the Giants' 117th game. Sosa was previously the fastest to 50, doing it in 121 games in 1999.
Bonds' three-run homer capped a six-run second inning. That was enough for Hernandez (11-11), who won his fifth consecutive decision. Giants manager Dusty Baker gave the lineup card as a souvenir to Hernandez, not Bonds. "I've given him about 10 of those this year already. Now that he's reached a milestone, he can go on to the next step and that's 60," Baker said. Bonds, who hit 49 homers last season, now has 544 for his career, four behind Mike Schmidt for eighth place. "I don't predict the future. I go day to day. They always want to count me out, but I keep hanging around," Bonds said of his long career. Asked if he was relieved to finally hit 50, Bonds said he was just glad to help the Giants build a big lead. "During the game, you don't think about those things. You just think about winning," Bonds said. "That's the only accomplishment I need. The rest of it is just irrelevant. That's why I'm still playing."
"I remember the night he hit his 500th homer and now he's 40-plus past that. It's a pretty incredible feat," Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "He's a line drive hitter, who hits home runs. He uses the whole field and he still has the bat speed at his age." The last major league pitcher to have four hits in a game was Colorado's John Thomson on June 1, 1997, against Florida. Hernandez is the first pitcher to get four hits against the Cubs since Danny Jackson did it for the Reds on Sept. 4, 1988. Hernandez said his experience playing third and first for the Cuban national team as an 18-year-old has carried over. He had 21 hits last season for the Giants and now has 20 this year. "You don't forget how to hit," he said. "For me, it's incredible to get eight hits in a row." Bonds' homer came off Joe Borowski (0-1), who was just called up from the minors and was making his first major league start after 57 relief appearances with three other big-league clubs. Bonds, who sat out Friday's series opener to rest, lined a 2-2 pitch just over the fence above the ivy in center with the ball bounding back onto the field. Bonds waited at second until umpire Bill Welke signaled a home run. Sosa spoiled the shutout bid with a solo homer in the seventh, and the Cubs added three unearned runs in the eighth on Todd Hundley's sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Michael Tucker and Sosa. John Vander Wal doubled and J.T. Snow walked to start the Giants' second and Benito Santiago sacrificed before Ramon Martinez and Hernandez hit RBI singles. After a walk loaded the bases, Rich Aurilia hit an RBI grounder, just beating a throw to first that would have been a double play. Bonds followed with his homer and Jeff Kent's single finished Borowski, who lasted just 1 2/3 innings. Notes: McGwire hit his 50th homer at age 35, 326 days in 1999. ... Bonds is just the third Giant to hit 50 homers, joining Willie Mays, who hit 51 in 1955 and 52 in 1965, and Johnny Mize, who had 51 in 1947. ... Kerry Wood will throw on the side Sunday to see if is ready for his scheduled start for the Cubs on Tuesday in Houston. Wood missed his last start with a tendinitis in his shoulder.
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