Bonds hits 748th, trails Aaron by 7
BOSTON: San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hit his 748th career home run to move within seven of tying all-time leader Hank Aaron on Sunday.
Bonds drove a sixth-inning knuckball from Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield more than 380 feet over the right field barrier for his first home run at Boston's Fenway Park.
Boston won the game 9-5.
"I think my age got me slower so I could time Wakefield's knuckler better," the 42-year-old Bonds jokingly told reporters. "He's a tough pitcher. His ball was moving all over the place."
Wakefield became the 441st pitcher to give up a home run to the Giants slugger.
"When it left the bat, I thought it was a popup," Wakefield told reporters. "I turned around and saw J.D. (Drew) just keep going back further and further and further ...
"He (Bonds) has hit a lot of them, so you've got to tip your cap to him."
The homer was Bond's 14th of the season. He has now homered in 36 Major League parks.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (8-5) won for the first time in four starts, holding the Giants to three hits and three walks. The Red Sox have scored just six runs in his last four outings, and overall they have scored two or fewer runs in eight of their last 11 games.
Agencies
(China Daily 06/19/2007 page24)
