Bonds' Hot Bat Powers Giants

When Barry Bonds first saw the Giants' new Pacific Bell Park this spring, he said the cozy dimensions in right field would give him no particular advantage. So far, he has proven himself wrong.

Bonds, on a hitting tear since returning from a lower back injury, homered for the third straight game to lead San Francisco to a 4-1 win Thursday over the Montreal Expos.

Bonds' three-run homer was his 19th of the season, leaving him one behind Mark McGwire for the major league lead. It was the 464th homer by Bonds, moving him within one of tying Dave Winfield for 20th place on the career list.

But he's the only player to have splashed a ball into McCovey Cove behind the right-field wall he's done it four times and Thursday's homer barely cleared the brick wall in right.

"It doesn't matter which ballpark," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "If you can hit, you can hit and Barry can hit."

Bonds, who also had an RBI single and a double while going 3-for-4, homered in each of the three games in the series against the Expos. He hit a solo shot Wednesday night in the Giants' 18-0 win, the most lopsided loss in Montreal history.

Bonds, who missed four games last week with a sprained joint in his back, is hitting .588 (10-for-17) in his five games since returning, with four homers, four doubles and 12 RBIs.

"When you're in a groove, you're just in a groove," Bonds said. "I had a good spring. I've been pretty much in a groove since then."

And though Bonds said he hasn't thought about whether the park is good for him, he clearly enjoys plying at Pac Bell more than he did on windy Candlestick Point.

"I love it here. I like the ballpark, period," Bonds said. "Anything is better than where we were, man."

Twelve of Bonds' last 14 hits have been for extra bases, with eight homers and four doubles. His homer Thursday came with two outs in the third, after pitcher Livan Hernandez singled and Marvin Benard walked, and his RBI single came in the seventh.

"You're trying not to give Bonds anything to hit. You don't want that guy to beat you," Montreal catcher Lenny Webster said. "The way he's been swinging the bat against us, especially here, if you miss one time he takes advantage."

Hernandez (3-5) allowed one run on five hits in eight innings, matching his career high with nine strikeouts. Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his seventh save in nine opportunities. It was Nen's 192nd save, tying him with Mitch Williams for 26th place on the career list.

Jose Vidro had a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the Expos.

Tony Armas (0-2) allowed four runs on eight hits in 6 1-3 innings for Montreal.

"Armas pitched well. He made one bad pitch and the guy (Bonds) was hot and he hit it," Montreal manager Felipe Alou said. "He's a good hitter. He didn't crush it, but he hit it up. Other than that he made good pitches all day."

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