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Bonds sits, but Giants bash four homers in slaughter of Braves

Aug 17, 2007 - 3:24 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Even with Barry Bonds out of the lineup, the San Francisco Giants still found a way to win with the long ball.

Bengie Molina smashed a three-run homer and three other Giants homered en route to a 9-3 rout of the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.

One night after extending his home run record by smashing his 759th homer, San Francisco gave its surly slugger Bonds the evening off. But Molina and the Giants offense supplied more than enough power to avoid their first sweep at the hands of the Braves since the 2000 campaign.

Molina started the offensive onslaught by smashing a three-run homer - his 13th of the season - over the left-center field wall in the first to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.

"It was a changeup," Molina said. "It stayed up over the middle. The way we're playing right now and the way we're losing right now, (the outburst was) big."

One frame later, it was Daniel Ortmeier's turn to go deep. The switch-hitting rookie smashed a 2-0 offering from Atlanta starter Chuck James (9-9) 405 feet over the right-center field wall to extend the advantage to 4-2.

"Being a switch hitter, you want to contribute from both sides," said Ortmeier, who has two homers apiece from the right and lefthanded sides of the plate. "I'm going to continue to work to keep it even."

Randy Winn followed by juicing a solo shot to left field in the third and light-hitting Kevin Frandsen, who entered the contest batting a paltry .213 (79-for-169), smashed the Giants' fourth homer of the game off the left field foul pole to give San Francisco a 6-2 lead and chase James.

James allowed six runs and five hits, walked one and struck out two in 3 2/3 frames. The Atlanta native who is prone to the fly ball, became the first Braves pitcher since Lance Cormier on June 8 to allow four long balls in a game.

"I felt like I didn't have a good fastball and good location on the ball," James said. "I feel like every mistake I made got hit hard. ... It was a good thing that (Bonds) wasn't in the lineup. It definitely wouldn't have made my day any easier."

"Chuck (James) got hit hard," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He couldn't control the fastball. He had one of those rare rough nights."

The loss was a costly one for Atlanta, which fell into third place in the National League East. But the Braves remained 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets, after the Pirates rallied for the victory on Thursday.

It looked like the Braves might have a chance to battle back in this one when Giants starter Tim Lincecum (7-3) almost squandered a 3-0 edge in the first.

Willie Harris led off the frame with a triple ahead of Kelly Johnson, who drew a six-pitch walk. Harris scored and Johnson advanced to second on a wild pitch, ahead of Chipper Jones, who singled.

Mark Teixeira plated Johnson with a fielder's choice to cut the lead to 3-2. But Lincecum retired Brian McCann on a flyout and struck out Jeff Francoeur to end the threat.

Lincecum allowed three runs and five hits, walked one and struck out four in five frames to record his first win since July 26. The rookie improved to 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts against Atlanta.

"It's a situation I'm not used to," the diminutive Lincecum said of playing in the 95 degree heat. "I've pitched in Georgia before, but not in the heat and humidity. I actually weighted myself. I only lost three pounds."

The Giants added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh - on sacrifice flies by Ryan Klesko, Winn and Molina.

Rookie Rajai Davis put the exclamation point on the victory by robbing nine-time Gold Glove Award winning center fielder Andruw Jones of a two-run homer to end the game.

"It was definitely a great experience," Davis said. "One of the greatest defensive players in the game in Andruw Jones, and to be able to rob him - I'm sure he's taken a lot from other people."

Jones had two hits for the Braves, who lost for just the fourth time in 11 games.