Site last updated: Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Log In

Reset Password
Butler County's great daily newspaper

Bonds 'embarrassed' about 0-20 slump

San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds tosses his bat up after striking out swinging against Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Joe Beimel in the seventh inning of their baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, July 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Barry Bonds was steamed about his slump.

Bonds is concentrating on the funk he's in at the plate. The slugger had a second consecutive 0-for-5 performance to extend his hitless stretch to a season-worst 20 at-bats, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their 11th straight in San Francisco by beating the rival Giants 5-3.

After the game, Bonds flipped a laundry cart to the ground and stalked away from reporters. Calling himself an "embarrassment" and mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, it was his hardest hit of the day.

"It's an embarrassment for me to be wearing this (expletive deleted) uniform 'cause of the way I'm playing. There, that's it. Now go away," Bonds said at his locker.

Then he overturned the cart as he walked through the clubhouse, a rare public display of emotion with his chase of Hank Aaron's home run record at a standstill. He's been stuck on 751 homers since July 3, four from tying the Hammer.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy suggested his star player might be too "pull conscious."

When asked about that, Bonds said, "That's not it."

It's his longest stretch without a hit since 2001. Does he need a day off?

"That's not it, either," he said.

The Dodgers scored twice on squeeze bunts. Los Angeles' streak is the club's longest in any city since winning 13 consecutive games at San Francisco's Candlestick Park from 1976-77.

Brett Tomko (2-7) pitched five innings for the win in his first start since May 21 against Milwaukee. Takashi Saito bounced back from consecutive blown saves for his 24th in 27 chances.

Noah Lowry (9-7) had his winning streak snapped at three starts.

At Chicago, Derrek Lee broke a streak of 126 at-bats without a home run by hitting a three-run shot to help the Cubs complete a three-game sweep. The Cubs have won 15 of 19 and swept the Astros in a three-game series at Wrigley Field for the first time since May 1984.Ryan Theriot and Angel Pagan also homered for Chicago. Bob Howry earned his fifth save.Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez (6-8) couldn't hold an early 5-0 lead.

At New York, Jose Reyes homered, Oliver Perez (8-6) won in his return from the disabled list and the Mets got another big hit from Lastings Milledge.The NL East leaders took three of four from Cincinnati and remained 1Z\x games ahead of second-place Atlanta. Adam Dunn knocked out a scoreboard panel with a long home run for the Reds, who have lost 14 of 20 on the road. Kyle Lohse (5-11) failed to get out of the fifth.Padres 4, Diamondbacks 0At Phoenix, Justin Germano (6-3) drove in a run and gave up none to help San Diego avoid a three-game sweep. Milton Bradley drove in two runs and Brian Giles had three hits.All-Star Brandon Webb (8-7) allowed a season-high 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings. He struck out 10. Heath Bell, Scott Linebrink and Doug Brocail completed San Diego's 13th shutout, most in the majors.

At Milwaukee, pinch-hitter Kevin Mench's tiebreaking RBI triple in the seventh lifted the Brewers. Francisco Cordero earned his 28th save in 31 chances.

At Miami, Miguel Cabrera hit two solo homers and Josh Willingham added another to back Scott Olsen (7-7). Kevin Gregg got his 20th save in 21 chances.Willingham homered for the third straight game. Cabrera, who withdrew from Monday night's All-Star Home Run Derby with a shoulder injury, has three homers in his past two games.

The Minnesota Twins are finding their form from last season when they made an unlikely playoff run. Second-half success for the Oakland A's, meanwhile, has yet to be found.Joe Mauer singled home the winning run in the ninth inning after Justin Morneau hit a tying homer in the eighth, and the Twins completed a four-game sweep of the slumping Athletics with a 4-3 victory Sunday."It's kind of feelings of last year at this time," Minnesota third baseman Nick Punto said. "Guys were coming up with big hits with a guy on base, and I kind of see signs of last year. Hopefully we can get on some kind of roll like we did last year."Eric Chavez homered for the A's, who have lost seven in a row — their longest skid since also dropping seven straight in late May last season. They have scored three runs or fewer in 10 consecutive games, matching a team record set in September 1978.

Justin Verlander earned his 11th win and Marcus Thames hit a three-run homer off Jeff Weaver, helping Detroit gain a four-game split with host Seattle in an entertaining series between surging teams.Verlander (11-3) allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings, reaching 100 mph with his overpowering fastball.Weaver (2-7), who beat Detroit to clinch the World Series title for St. Louis last year, gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings. He was 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA in his previous six starts.

Jesse Litsch held Boston to one run in 6 2-3 innings, and Lyle Overbay had three hits off All-Star game winner Josh Beckett to lead Toronto past host Boston.A 22-year-old rookie making his sixth career start, Litsch (2-3) allowed nine hits and a walk while striking out two. Jeremy Accardo pitched the ninth for his 12th save.Beckett (12-3) yielded two runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out eight over eight innings in his first start since earning a win with two scoreless innings in the All-Star game.

Derek Jeter hit a two-run homer, Andy Phillips snapped an eighth-inning tie with an RBI single and visiting New York rallied past Tampa Bay to climb above .500 for the first time in more than three weeks.New York (45-44) moved above .500 for the first time since June 22.

Travis Hafner had three hits, including a long two-run homer, to help Fausto Carmona and host Cleveland defeat Kansas City.Carmona (11-4) improved to 8-0 with a 1.98 ERA in nine daytime starts. The Indians improved baseball's best home record to 33-13 with their seventh victory in eight games at Jacobs Field.

Mark Teixeira homered leading off the 11th inning and had an RBI double in the eighth, leading Texas to a victory over host Los Angeles.Justin Speier (0-1) came on in the 11th and allowed Teixeira's 13th homer on a 3-2 pitch — less than 24 hours after striking out the side in his first game off the disabled list.

Brian Roberts and Corey Patterson homered, Garrett Olson earned his first major league win and host Baltimore handed Chicago's Jose Contreras his AL-high 11th loss.

More in Professional

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

* indicates required
TODAY'S PHOTOS