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Dodgers keep Bonds at bay, rally late to down Giants

Aug 2, 2007 - 6:48 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- With Barry Bonds out of the game and thousands of fans leaving Dodger Stadium as a result, the Los Angeles Dodgers gave those that stayed behind a great show.

Luis Gonzalez hit a game-tying, two-run single in the eighth inning and scored on Nomar Garciaparra's two-run homer as the Dodgers rallied for a thrilling 6-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Bonds went 0-for-3 with a walk before being replaced by pinch runner Fred Lewis in the eighth and remains stuck at 754 career home runs, one short of tying Hank Aaron's all-time record. Since homering against Florida on Friday, the seven-time National League MVP is just 1-for-12 with eight walks.

"We're pitching him tough," Dodgers catcher Russell Martin said. "The pressure is on his side. Normally, you hit them when you're not trying to hit them. It looks like he's trying."

"He's not seeing very many strikes to hit," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "They're being very careful, walking him intentionally there (in the eighth). It's a tribute to the kind of player Barry is."

Trailing, 4-2, in the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers mounted their comeback on consecutive bunt singles by Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre to lead off the frame. Furcal, who moved to second on the bunt from Pierre, aggressively advanced to third after a throwing error by Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel.

"(Juan and I) have a lot of good players behind us," Furcal said. "It was a perfect bunt. I tried to hit it over third. I can do it any time I want if I get a good pitch."

"They executed," Giants pinch hitter Mark Frandsen said. "Two bunts by two of the fastest players in the league - you can't draw it up any better than that."

Following a harmless grounder by Martin, Gonzalez singled down the left field line against Giants reliever Randy Messenger (1-3) to tie the game at 4-4. Garciaparra capped the rally by sending the second pitch he saw from Messenger over the wall in left field for his fifth homer of the season.

"I got a good breaking ball down and away, and I got a good swing on it," Gonzalez said. "We really needed that one."

"Messy (Messenger) made a pretty good pitch to Gonzalez and he hit it right down the line," Frandsen said. "I don't know how many he's ever hit like that."

Despite surrendering one run and two hits in the eighth, Jonathan Broxton (4-2) picked up the win before handing the ball over in the ninth to closer Takashi Saito, who set down the Giants in order to notch his 27th save in 30 chances.

Los Angeles' comeback ruined a stellar offensive performance by Vizquel, who recorded three doubles, two RBI and a run scored. The loss by the Giants ended the odd streak that existed between the rivals in which the road team had won 15 straight games.

In the absence of Bonds' record-tying blast, those in attendance were witness to a bit of franchise history. Martin stole his 18th base in the bottom of the third, tying Con Daily for the franchise record for most stolen bases by a catcher that he set in 1892 as a member of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.