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AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO — Barry Bonds moved within two homers of Hank Aaron's record Thursday, hitting Nos. 752 and 753 with two of his biggest swings this month and ending his worst slump in six years. He was rested and ready, all right.
Bonds sent the first pitch from Cubs starter Ted Lilly high over the right-field fence leading off the second inning — the first drive out of Wrigley Field to reach Sheffield Avenue all season. Then he homered again in the seventh on a 3-2 pitch from Will Ohman, a three-run shot that stuck in the basket of the center-field wall. Ohman became the 443rd pitcher to give up a home run to Bonds, who has 19 homers on the year.
It was his 71st multihomer game, second behind Babe Ruth's 72, and second this season. He went 3-for-3 and scored three runs in the Giants' 9-8 loss. Bonds' first homer pulled the Giants within 4-1 and was San Francisco's first hit off Lilly, who surrendered his third career homer to Bonds. The next homer got the Giants within one and gave Bonds six RBIs on the day, his most since driving in six runs Sept. 22 last year at Milwaukee. It was his seventh career game with at least six RBIs.
CHICAGO -- Barry Bonds hit his homers, and the Cubs still won. Everybody's happy.
Bonds drove in six runs, belting career homers No. 752 and 753, but the Cubs took advantage of three errors in the first inning to beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-8, Thursday and take the series, 3-1.
"You're watching a Hall of Famer," Chicago's Cliff Floyd said. "We won a game, and the fans got a chance to see him chase history. That's a double win."
Unless you're Ted Lilly or Will Ohman. Both Cubs lefties served up Bonds' blasts.
"I hate to have Bonds hit two home runs off our pitchers," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "That's what the fans came out to see in these four days and they got their money's worth. He put on a power-hitting exhibition and our team won a baseball game."
Aramis Ramirez drove in two runs to back Lilly (10-4) and help the Cubs win for the 18th time in their last 23 games. And they did so despite not having Derrek Lee in the lineup as he served the second day of his five-game suspension, and losing Floyd and Daryle Ward to injuries. Lilly did his part when he singled in the fifth, notched his first career stolen base and scored on Alfonso Soriano's double.
That's right. Lilly stole a base.
"I always wondered why pitchers don't do that -- they never pay attention to them," Floyd said. "If you're a little bit of an athlete, you should take off."
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