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Bonds hits home run No. 751, but Reds prevail

Jul 4, 2007 - 3:49 AM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Barry Bonds got one step closer to history on Tuesday, but Brandon Phillips got the last laugh.

Bonds hit career home run No. 751 in the first inning, but Phillips belted his second career grand slam in the sixth to snap a tie and lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-3 triumph over the San Francisco Giants.

Aaron Harang labored through six innings to improve to 4-0 in his last eight starts for the Reds, who made a winner of Pete Mackanin in his first game as manager. He replaced Jerry Narron on Sunday.

Harang struck out the first two hitters of the game before walking Ray Durham and becoming a part of history, when Bonds crushed an 0-2 offering into the right-center field seats to move within four homers of Hank Aaron's all-time record.

"Can I feel it? No. I can feel 751 right now," Bonds said. "I can't feel 755. I can feel 751 feels good."

"He was just right on the ball," Harang said of the pitch to Bonds.

When reminded that he and Ken Griffey Jr. represented the most home runs in one game since Frank Robinson (586) and Aaron (755) met in Milwaukee in 1976, Bonds smiled.

"Those are two pretty good players right there. Jr. and I have been around for a long time but we just lost a game and you want to talk about me an Jr.," Bonds said. "It's hurting right now (losing). We know we're a better team. We know we can play better. Unlucky breaks. Things aren't going our way. I'll appreciate these things more when I'm retired."

But Phillips jumped to the center stage in the sixth, belting a grand slam off reliever Kevin Correia (1-4) to snap a 3-3 tie. It was the 16th home run of the season for Phillips. He celebrated with an odd gesture as he rounded first base.

"I've been struggling myself with runners on base," Phillips said. "With all the things that are going on here, I started hopping and leaning. I knew I hit it good but was really excited when it went out."

Harang has been the bright spot for the Reds but committed the baseball sin of giving Bonds a fat pitch on 0-2.

Correia started the frame in place of San Francisco starter Barry Zito, who walked five of six batters during the fourth inning and threw 113 pitches. He allowed three runs, two hits and struck out five.

Harang (9-2) walked a career-high six batters, yielding four hits with four strikeouts.

"I thought wouldn't it be nice to have a usual well-pitched game by Aaron Harang," Mackanin said. "He just didn't feel right He wasn't in sink but like the good pitcher he is, he battled through it."

After Zito retired the first nine batters with the aid of a double play in the third inning following an error, the Reds picked up a pair of runs in the fourth. The zany lefthander walked the bases loaded and with two outs, he lost Edwin Encarnacion on a 3-2 pitch and Alex Gonzalez on five pitches to tie the score.

"He couldn't have had better command in the first three innings, and he just lost it," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "For a guy who had been locked in the way he was the first three innings, I don't know if I've seen that."

San Francisco took a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning on a double by Ray Durham, walks to Bonds and Ryan Klesko and a run-scoring groundout by Bengie Molina.