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Bonds begins homestand on the verge of home run record

Aug 6, 2007 - 1:47 PM Washington (51-60) at San Francisco (47-62) 10:15 pm EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Barry Bonds is on the verge of baseball's most hallowed record.

Bonds and the San Francisco Giants begin a potentially historic seven-game homestand Monday when they host the Washington Nationals in the opener of a four-game set.

Bonds is one blast away from becoming the majors' all-time home run king, a title owned by Hank Aaron since April 8, 1974.

Bonds hit career home run No. 755 on Saturday to tie Aaron, who surpassed Babe Ruth's home run record of 714 with a longball off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing.

A virtual unknown making his third career start, Washington starter John Lannan (1-0, 5.40 ERA) suddenly finds himself in the crosshairs of baseball history. That's assuming Bonds plays after sitting out Sunday's game in San Diego.

The lefthanded Lannan, who was 20 months old when Bonds hit his first home run on June 4, 1986, does have one percentage working in his favor. Bonds has hit 223 home runs off lefthanders, collecting 70 percent of his record total off righthanders (532).

While Giants starter Tim Lincecum (6-2, 3.75) doesn't have to worry about becoming the answer to a Bonds trivia question, he will need to concern himself with a Nationals team that has won six straight.

The 23-year-old is 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 46 1/3 innings during his last seven starts for the Giants, whose three-game losing streak is almost inconsequential due to the focus on Bonds.