Baseball Guru
04-04-2002, 05:03 AM
By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer
April 4, 2002, 2:07 AM EST
LOS ANGELES -- Barry Bonds did it again.
The San Francisco slugger hit another pair of home runs Wednesday night, giving him four in two games and leading the Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-0.
Bonds became the second player in history to homer twice in the opening two games of a season, joining Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, who did it for the Milwaukee Braves in 1958.
The two homers -- both over 440 feet -- lifted Bonds' career total to 571, leaving him two behind Harmon Killebrew for sixth on the career list.
Bonds hit a three-run homer off Hideo Nomo (0-1) in the first inning. Bonds added a solo shot off Terry Mulholland in the fourth, triggering a six-run burst that gave the Giants a 10-0 lead.
Bonds, who set records by hitting 73 homers and drawing 177 walks last year, had two homers and five RBIs Tuesday as the Giants opened the season with a 9-2 victory over the Dodgers.
Bonds was walked intentionally by Nomo in the second, and Mulholland walked Bonds on four pitches in the fifth before he left the game along with several other regulars from both teams.
"As I said yesterday, you're seeing one of the best players ever to play the game," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said beforehand.
Bonds has five hits in six at-bats, five runs scored and nine RBIs. He has reached base eight straight times after popping out in his first at-bat. And that's in only two games.
Russ Ortiz (1-0) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits while walking one and striking out two. Ortiz, who retired his final 10 batters, also hit his third career homer.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo walked and Rich Aurilia singled before Bonds hit a 1-2 pitch from Nomo an estimated 443 feet to give the Giants a 3-0 lead before an out had been recorded.
Bonds tagged a 1-0 pitch an estimated 459 feet into the right-field seats in the fourth to make it 5-0. Benito Santiago hit a three-run homer, and Ortiz a two-run shot later in the inning.
Nomo lasted only three innings, allowing six hits and four runs while walking six and striking out three. He threw 88 pitches, 44 for strikes.
Mulholland gave up seven hits and eight runs -- seven earned -- in two innings.
Notes:@ Bonds came in with four hits, including one homer, in 25 at-bats against Nomo. ... Tracy made it official -- Japanese left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii will make his big league debut Saturday night against Colorado. "He had a very good bullpen yesterday," Tracy said. Ishii struggled in spring training and walked five straight batters Sunday at Seattle in the final exhibition game. ... Nomo started his first game for the Dodgers since May 30, 1998. He was traded to the New York Mets five days later. ... Nomo, who signed a two-year contract with the Dodgers last winter, pitched a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox in his first start last season and also had one for the Dodgers at Colorado in 1996. ... Ortiz won 49 games during the last three seasons, the most by any Giants pitcher since Hall of Famers Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal won 58 and 51, respectively, from 1969-71.
AP Sports Writer
April 4, 2002, 2:07 AM EST
LOS ANGELES -- Barry Bonds did it again.
The San Francisco slugger hit another pair of home runs Wednesday night, giving him four in two games and leading the Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-0.
Bonds became the second player in history to homer twice in the opening two games of a season, joining Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, who did it for the Milwaukee Braves in 1958.
The two homers -- both over 440 feet -- lifted Bonds' career total to 571, leaving him two behind Harmon Killebrew for sixth on the career list.
Bonds hit a three-run homer off Hideo Nomo (0-1) in the first inning. Bonds added a solo shot off Terry Mulholland in the fourth, triggering a six-run burst that gave the Giants a 10-0 lead.
Bonds, who set records by hitting 73 homers and drawing 177 walks last year, had two homers and five RBIs Tuesday as the Giants opened the season with a 9-2 victory over the Dodgers.
Bonds was walked intentionally by Nomo in the second, and Mulholland walked Bonds on four pitches in the fifth before he left the game along with several other regulars from both teams.
"As I said yesterday, you're seeing one of the best players ever to play the game," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said beforehand.
Bonds has five hits in six at-bats, five runs scored and nine RBIs. He has reached base eight straight times after popping out in his first at-bat. And that's in only two games.
Russ Ortiz (1-0) pitched seven shutout innings, allowing three hits while walking one and striking out two. Ortiz, who retired his final 10 batters, also hit his third career homer.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo walked and Rich Aurilia singled before Bonds hit a 1-2 pitch from Nomo an estimated 443 feet to give the Giants a 3-0 lead before an out had been recorded.
Bonds tagged a 1-0 pitch an estimated 459 feet into the right-field seats in the fourth to make it 5-0. Benito Santiago hit a three-run homer, and Ortiz a two-run shot later in the inning.
Nomo lasted only three innings, allowing six hits and four runs while walking six and striking out three. He threw 88 pitches, 44 for strikes.
Mulholland gave up seven hits and eight runs -- seven earned -- in two innings.
Notes:@ Bonds came in with four hits, including one homer, in 25 at-bats against Nomo. ... Tracy made it official -- Japanese left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii will make his big league debut Saturday night against Colorado. "He had a very good bullpen yesterday," Tracy said. Ishii struggled in spring training and walked five straight batters Sunday at Seattle in the final exhibition game. ... Nomo started his first game for the Dodgers since May 30, 1998. He was traded to the New York Mets five days later. ... Nomo, who signed a two-year contract with the Dodgers last winter, pitched a no-hitter for the Boston Red Sox in his first start last season and also had one for the Dodgers at Colorado in 1996. ... Ortiz won 49 games during the last three seasons, the most by any Giants pitcher since Hall of Famers Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal won 58 and 51, respectively, from 1969-71.