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CHICAGO - US baseball player Barry Bonds closed to within two home runs of tying Hank Aaron's all-time career record in the San Francisco Giants' 9-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs in National League play on Friday (NZ time).
Bonds broke out of his worst slump in six years after sitting out three games to rest his sore legs, with his two home runs giving him 753, three away from beating Aaron's career total of 755.
The slugger did not take long to end his 0-for-21 slump at the plate, belting a solo homer over the right field bleachers on the first pitch from Ted Lilly in his first at-bat in the second inning.
Bonds also had a two-run single in the third before walking in the sixth. In the seventh inning he connected for a three-run blast off reliever Will Ohman -- his 19th of the season and number 753 -- to centre field.
The multi-homer game was the 71st of his career, one shy of Babe Ruth's record of 72. Bonds finished with six RBI in the game.
The Giants now head to Milwaukee for a three-game series, the same city where Aaron began and ended his career.
- REUTERS
