Bonds, Giants Break Cubs

Even celebrations are painful for Barry Bonds these days.

Bonds, struggling since coming off the disabled list last week, broke out of his slump with a game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-2 Thursday night.

But Bonds, who had struck out in each of his previous three at-bats, left the field wincing in pain. An overenthusiastic high-five from teammate F.P. Santangelo left Bonds holding his left elbow, still recovering from surgery.

Â"You're battling all day and trying to keep your confidence up and mentally you're going through emotional things like, `Am I hurting the ballclub? What am I doing out here?Â"' he said. Â"It worked out good in the end, that's all that matters.Â"

Bonds singled off Dan Serafini (1-1) with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth. Robb Nen (3-1) pitched one inning for the win.

With one out in the ninth, Marvin Benard singled and Bill Mueller walked. Bonds singled on the first pitch from Serafini, who went to the same high school as Bonds Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., about 15 miles south of the Giants' ballpark at Candlestick Point.

Serafini said he was not intimidated by facing Bonds, who graduated from Serra 11 years before the Cubs pitcher.

Â"Pretty much anyone could hit that pitch,Â" Serafini said. Â"Anyone on our pitching staff could have hit that pitch. He just did what he was supposed to do.Â"

The Cubs have lost seven of their last eight games.

Benard had tied the game 2-2 in the seventh with an RBI single, but the Giants left the bases loaded as Bonds struck out and Jeff Kent flied to center.

Bonds, struggling at the plate since returning from the disabled list on June 9, helped create the Giants' first run and leaped over the left-field fence to rob Mark Grace of a homer in the sixth.

Bonds walked leading off the fourth, then tagged up and went to second on a long fly to center by Kent. Bons scored on a two-out single by Rich Aurilia.

Â"Tonight it was Barry's turn,Â" Giants manager Dusty Baker said. Â"We're all capable of doubt. Something like this will erase doubt. Tonight was not only big for Barry, it was big for us, too.Â"

Bonds, who had left elbow surgery in mid-April and was expected to be out until at least the end of June, went 1-for-4 Thursday and is 4-for-25 since his return.

Â"If he keeps going up there he's going to get you. He had a good game, but he will have better games than that. He's still coming back from an injury, faster than people expected,Â" Cubs manager Jim Riggleman said. Â"But that's a perfect example of the ways to help a team win a ballgame. He did a little bit of everything.Â"

Gary Gaetti had a two-run double in the fifth for the Cubs.

Giants starter Kirk Rueter allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings. Terry Mulholland allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 1-3 innings for Chicago.

Sammy Sosa, who had a career-high 18-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday at Milwaukee, went 0-for-3 with a walk for the Cubs.

Notes: Catcher Doug Mirabelli went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts for the Giants after being called up earlier in the day from Fresno of the Pacific Coast League. He replaced catcher Scott Servais, who dislocated his right thumb Wednesday when a ball was fouled off his hand. ... The Cubs and Giants met for the first time since Sept. 28, when Chicago defeated San Francisco in a one-game playoff for the NL wild-card spot. ... The Giants opened a 13-game home stand, their longest of the season. ... Mickey Morandini went 0-for-4 for the Cubs and is 1-for-16 in the first four games of Chicago's road trip. ... With his four strikeouts, Mulholland moved within seven of 1,000 career strikeouts. ... The Giants have won eight of their last 11 home games.

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