Barry Bonds is within reach of Hank Aaron’s all-time home run mark of 755, and may catch “Hammerin Hank” in the city that the legend spent most of his career, as the San Francisco Giants are set to begin a three-game series tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Bonds returned to the lineup in a big way on Thursday against the Cubs after missing three straight games due to sore legs. He first snapped his 0-for-21 skid when he led off the second inning with a home run to right field, and then belted the 753rd homer of his career in the seventh inning.
Overall, he finished 3-for-3 with six RBI and three runs scored, but it wasn’t enough as the Giants fell to Chicago, 9-8.
Matt Morris (7-6) was tagged for eight runs — five earned — over 4 2/3 innings of work for the Giants, who have dropped seven of eight.
So now Bonds brings his home run chase to Milwaukee, where Aaron played from 1954-65 with the Braves and then in 1975-76 with the Brewers.
And if that wasn’t enough pressure, Bonds will also have to endure questions as to whether he thinks MLB commissioner Bud Selig should be in attendance as he attempts to catch and pass Aaron. Selig is a former owner of the Brewers and a Milwaukee resident.
The Giants will send Noah Lowry and his team-high nine wins to the hill tonight as they try to get back on the winning track. The left-hander is 3-1 over his last four starts with a 2.63 earned run average, but that loss came last time out against the Dodgers on Sunday. Lowry was tagged for five runs (four earned) on 10 hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings for his seventh loss of the season. His ERA also lifted to 3.50 in the setback.
The 26-year-old is 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in three lifetime starts against Milwaukee. That includes a setback to the club on June 18 of this year in which Lowry allowed five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Jeff Suppan, meanwhile, will attempt to halt a four-start winless streak when he toes the rubber for the Brewers tonight. Since a victory over Kansas City on June 22, Suppan has gone 0-1, but pitched well in a no-decision against Colorado on Sunday. Versus the Rockies, the right-hander yielded just two runs over six innings on five hits and three walks.
Suppan, who is 8-8 on the year with a 4.90 ERA, has yet to face the Giants this season, but won his lone start against them last year. Lifetime, he is 3-4 against them with a 4.95 ERA in seven starts.
Bonds is just 2-for-12 lifetime against Suppan, but one of those hits was a home run. However, he is a career .363 hitter against Milwaukee with 21 lifetime long balls.
The Brewers come into this set as winners in five of six. That includes a rout of Arizona on Thursday, as Tony Graffanino went 2-for-4, homered, drove in three runs and scored three times to lead Milwaukee to a 10-1 victory.
Yovani Gallardo (2-1) held Arizona to only three hits through six innings, striking out four, and Matt Wise earned a rare save, his first of the season.
Gabe Gross also homered for the Brewers, who lead the Chicago Cubs by 3 1/2 games for first place in the NL Central. The club is also 5-2 on a 10-game homestand.
The Brewers have won seven straight — all at home — over the Giants, including a three-game sweep this year in Milwaukee from June 18-20. San Francisco’s last win at Miller Park came on May 3 of last season.
