Bonds clubs No. 748 as Giants fall to BoSox again

Jun 17, 2007, 21:45 GMT

Boston, MA - Manny Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a homer and three runs batted in as Boston outslugged Barry Bonds and San Francisco, 9-5, in the finale of a three-game interleague set at Fenway Park.

Tim Wakefield (7-7) gave up eight hits and five runs over 5 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts. Four relievers combined to allow just one hit over the final 3 1/3 frames.

Kevin Youkilis drove in a pair for the Red Sox, winners of three in a row and four of six. Boston leads the AL East by 8 1/2 games over the Yankees. David Ortiz collected two hits and scored twice, while Dustin Pedroia and J.D. Drew picked up a hit and two runs scored each.

Giants starter Matt Morris (7-4) was rocked for nine hits and eight runs over four innings, fanning three and walking two. Jonathan Sanchez was charged with one run in one inning of relief.

'It was a rare day today,' said Giants manager Bruce Bochy of Morris' outing. 'He wasn't quite as sharp but he's pitched so well and things didn't go our way either as balls got through.'

Omar Vizquel and Randy Winn drove in runs for the Giants, who have dropped four straight games and seven of their last nine. Pedro Feliz added his ninth home run of the season and scored twice, while Nate Schierholtz added an RBI triple among his three hits.

Bonds went 2-for-3 with a single, a walk and a home run, his 14th of the season and 748th career blast, just seven away from Hank Aaron's all-time record. The slugger completed his first trip to Fenway 3-for-9 with three walks and one homer.

'I believe I had two but we'll leave it at one,' said Bonds of his weekend in Boston, alluding to his near-home-run on Friday night. 'I tip my cap to Wakefield. He came at me every at-bat, gave me an opportunity and I didn't get walked today so I tip my cap to him. His knuckleball is as good as it was when he was with us in Pittsburgh. I just wish he pitched that last game (Game 7 1992 NLCS) for us because we would have been in the World Series for sure.'

After letting a 2-0 lead slip through their fingers, the Sox broke open the game with a five-run third inning.

The Sox put their first two men on base as Drew walked and Pedroia reached on a bunt single, then Ortiz cracked a ground-rule double over the short wall in right to plate Drew. Ramirez grounded out to second but Pedroia scored for a 4-2 game. Youkilis' line drive single to left scored Ortiz and it was 5-2. Mike Lowell drove in another run with a double off the Monster, then Wily Mo Pena lined out to left for the second out.

Doug Mirabelli snuck a base hit through the hole, scoring Youkilis, and the wily catcher moved to second on Winn's wild throw home. Morris, though, recovered to retire Julio Lugo on a ground out to short to end the inning.

It was 7-3 the following frame when Feliz knocked a rare Wakefield fastball over the seats atop the wall in left, and Ramirez knocked in Ortiz with a two- out double in the bottom of the inning and an 8-3 Sox lead.

Bonds took Wakefield deep into the bullpen in right with a lead-off shot in the sixth which made it 8-4, then a Schierholtz RBI triple cut Boston's lead to 8-5.

'He's hit a lot of them, so you've got to tip your cap to him,' Wakefield said of Bonds' blast. 'I haven't really faced him that much. I faced him probably after he left Pittsburgh and went to San Francisco that first year in '93. This is really the first time that I got to face him three times (in a game). He's a good hitter.'

Ramirez went deep for the 10th time this season with one out in the seventh to make it a 9-5 game and the Giants managed a lone single for remainder of the game against Joel Pineiro and Hideki Okajima.

Boston took a 2-0 lead in the first. Drew led off with a double and Pedroia was drilled in the back. Ortiz drew a walk to load the bases and Ramirez hit into a double play to score Drew. Youkilis followed with a long single off the Monster to score Pedroia.

Vizquel's RBI double to score Schierholtz in the third cut the Giants' deficit in half, then Winn tied the game with another run-scoring double.

Game Notes

Youkilis has 28 multi-hit games this season, third in the American League...Boston concluded its six-game interleague homestand at 4-2...Seven of the nine Red Sox starters had at least one hit except for shortstop Julio Lugo and center-fielder Pena...The Sox improved to 23-12 at home, while the Giants fell to 14-21 on the road...Bonds' trip to Fenway was the 40th ballpark he has played in during his 22-year career, and the 36th park in which he has homered...The Sox placed relief pitcher Brendan Donnelly on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 11, with a right forearm muscle strain. To replace him on the active roster, the Red Sox recalled right-handed pitcher Manny Delcarmen from Triple-A Pawtucket...The Red Sox open up a nine-game road trip and continue their interleague slate with a three-game set in Atlanta starting Monday, and the Giants head to Milwaukee for three also starting Monday.

© 2007 The Sports Network

Game Notes

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