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Barry Bonds failed again to join Hank Aaron on a record 755 home runs yesterday and extended the circus that surrounds his steroids-tainted chase at least one more night.
Bonds, who needs one homer to tie the record set by Aaron in 1974, was walked intentionally in his final at-bat of the night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, infuriating fans who booed their own pitcher for giving the slugger a free pass.
In three other at-bats, Bonds flied out to right, grounded weakly to first base and was robbed of a hit when Dodgers center fielder Juan Pierre made a spectacular diving catch in centre field.
Bonds hit home run number 754 on Friday in San Francisco, and was trying to club number 755 despite Los Angeles fans who poured scorn on him all night long.
Rumours that Bonds, 43, has used performance-enhancing drugs have tarnished his pursuit of baseball's most cherished record and turned many fans against him.
His reception has been especially harsh in Los Angeles, given the long rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers, and security has been tight at the stadium.
Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has banned anti-Bonds signs and pleaded with fans to remain civil.
But the sell-out crowd of 56,000 booed Bonds loudly from the time he was introduced as the Giants' left fielder and each time he came to the plate.
Off-duty police officer Stephen Bell, a Northern California native and lifelong Giants fan, said it was not easy rooting for his team at Dodger Stadium, where the home team won 6-4.
"Its not good, not in the cheap seats," Bell, 32, said.
"You get a lot of pelting - beers, peanuts, hot dog wrappers. Security only sides with the Dodger fans."
If Bonds cannot break Aaron's record in Los Angeles, where the teams play a final game today, he will travel to San Diego to try his luck against the Padres.
Bonds will be followed to San Diego by the 400 or so journalists covering his record chase.
But Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, who attended the games on Wednesday and yesterday in case Bonds hit number 755, said he would not stick around for the conclusion of the Dodgers series today.
"I have to go on another trip," Selig said, referring to previously announced plans to attend ground-breaking ceremonies for a new Minnesota Twins stadium in Minneapolis.
The stadium groundbreaking was postponed late yesterday after a highway bridge collapsed and hurled vehicles into the Mississippi River in central Minneapolis during evening rush hour, but Selig said he might go anyway. He has hedged throughout the season over whether he would attend matches when Bonds was set to break the record, confirming only last week he would try to be at the milestone game.
- REUTERS
