Giants Win, Big Mac Hits 36th

Barry Bonds drove in five runs, all in the first three innings, as the San Francisco Giants overcame Mark McGwire's 36th homer in a 10-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

Bonds hit a two-run homer in the first, singled in a run in the second and doubled for two more runs in the third as the Giants rallied from a 7-2 deficit.

Brent Mayne added a pair of RBI doubles for the Giants. Stan Javier had a run-scoring double, J.T. Snow had an RBI single and F.P. Santangelo had a sacrifice fly. San Francisco scored nine runs in the first four innings.

McGwire's ninth homer in his last 12 games, a shot over the bleachers in left field, tied him with Lou Gehrig for 16th place on the career list with 493 home runs.

With 255 homers since the start of the 1995 season, McGwire is one home run away from Babe Ruth's record for most homers in five consecutive seasons. Ruth hit 256 in 1926-30.

McGwire's homer came two batters after Bonds dropped a liner in left field, allowing a run to score. After McGwire's homer, two Cardinals walked and Edgar Renteria had an RBI single before right fielder Stan Javier dropped a liner allowing two more runs to score.

Felix Rodriguez (2-2) pitched four innings of relief, allowing one run, for the win. Heathcliff Slocumb (2-1), the Cardinals' third pitcher, was the loser.

Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 29 chances. Nen, who blew a save Saturday and lost Sunday, is 0-3 with two blown saves since the All-Star break.

But after putting runners on first and second with one out, Nen struck out McGwire on three pitches and Ray Lankford on four pitches to end the game.

Cardinals right fielder Darren Bragg tumbled into the stands, scaring teammates and fans, while making a spectacular catch in the first inning.

Bragg raced toward the foul line on a liner hit by Santangelo. He leaped to catch the ball, landing on top of the fence and tumbling onto a conrete walkway. As fans gasped, Cardinals players and trainer Barry Weinberg raced toward Bragg.

After slowing getting back on his feet and being examined by Weinberg for six minutes, Bragg walked back to his spot in right field. He had an RBI groundout three innings later.

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