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With Bonds likely sitting out, Giants hope to avoid sweep

Aug 5, 2007 - 3:35 PM San Francisco (47-61) at San Diego (59-50) 4:05 pm EDT

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Baseball history was realized on Saturday when Barry Bonds tied Hank Aaron's all-time home run record at 755. If the slugger has his way, he will take the day off to admire his work on Sunday when the San Francisco Giants hope to avoid a three-game series sweep at the hand of the San Diego Padres.

Probably attempting to save the record-setting home run for when San Francisco returns home on Monday, Bonds stated that he would follow the formula where he has been given rest in a day game after he has appeared in a night game the day before.

"I am not going to play tomorrow," Bonds said following Saturday's memorable contest. "I'm going to enjoy the day with my family."

Along with hitting the historic homer, he drew three walks and scored both runs in a Giants' 3-2 loss in 12 innings.

With the Giants hoping to avoid the sweep, they could not ask to send a hotter pitcher from their staff to the mound than Noah Lowry (12-7, 3.32 ERA). He has won three straight and six out of his last seven outings to give himself a chance to become the third National League pitcher to reach the 13-win mark.

Despite walking five batters over 5 2/3 innings in his last turn on Tuesday, the lefthander picked up the win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1. He allowed one run and five hits.

Lowry is 3-2 with a 3.90 ERA in nine lifetime starts and two relief appearances against the Padres.

Conversely, San Diego will have trouble taking three from San Francisco unless it can get a better performance than it has recently from Justin Germano (6-6, 4.38), who has dropped three straight and six of his last seven decisions.

Since starting the season 5-0 after beating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on June 14, the righthander is just 1-6 with a 6.44 ERA. Germano surrendered four runs and four hits over five frames in a 4-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.