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Bonds goes for No. 758 against Pirates

Aug 10, 2007 - 2:57 PM Pittsburgh (45-66) at San Francisco (49-64) 10:15 pm EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Barry Bonds should be back and well-rested on Friday when the San Francisco Giants host the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game series.

Bonds, who was reduced to a pinch-hitting role in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Washington Nationals, is expected to be in the starting lineup against the team that he broke into the majors with in 1986. Bonds played his first eight seasons with Pittsburgh - winning his first two National League MVPs - before signing with his hometown Giants as a free agent prior to the 1993 season.

Friday's game with serve as a homecoming of sorts for Pirates starter Matt Morris as well, as he makes his first start against the team that traded him away at the July 31 deadline.

Morris (7-7, 4.41 ERA) pitched his way out of San Francisco with an 0-4 mark and a 7.94 ERA over his last eight starts before the deadline. His beginning with the Pirates was also tough, as he allowed five runs - four earned - and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings against the Cincinnati Reds, but did not factor in a 9-8 loss.

Bonds is just 2-for-14 with no homers in his career against Morris.

The Giants will counter with veteran Russ Ortiz (2-2, 5.40), who took over Morris' spot in the Giants' rotation. Ortiz went 2-2 with a 6.44 ERA in five starts at the beginning of the season.