Phillies 4
Giants 1
PHILADELPHIA – Barry Bonds’ limping chase of Babe Ruth threatens to get almost as old the Giants’ entire outfield, or as the left fielder looked last night trying to get out of the way of a ground ball.
Bonds, still two career home runs short of Ruth’s 714, went 1-for-4 – a walk, a double play, a medium fly ball to left and a bloop single that made him a target for Steve Finley’s eighth-inning grounder. It hit Bonds well below the right knee that has seen better days. Though he remained in the game, it was an omen of his first full one without the protection of Moises Alou.
Alou, 39, the Giants’ No. 5 hitter, pulled up just in front of the wall Friday night on a foul fly and limped into the clubhouse yesterday on one sprained ankle and two crutches. Fifth in the order last night was the 41-year-old Finley.
“We won’t know anything more today or for the next few days,” said Giants’ manager Felipe Alou, who knows already that a No. 5 hitter batting .378 means more hittable pitches for a clean-up guy. Now, there’s less deterrent to pitch around Bonds, especially since pitchers do not want to give up historic home runs.
“If it’s only a couple of weeks, it won’t be too bad,” said the elder Alou. “They were walking Barry [28 times this year] even with Mo hitting .370, .380, but I’m sure managers have been paying attention to what Mo’s been doing every time they walk him.”
Last night, Phillies starter Ryan Madson was threatening to walk the entire 44,042 who came to boo the arch-villain, although not as lustily as on Friday night, when Bonds went 0-for-4. At least in the series opener, Bonds put 15 batting-practice pitches into the stands. Last night, it was a piddling four, but then in the words of Allen Iverson, a local authority on relevance, “We’re talking about practice!”
The Giants, despite seven hits and four walks in the first four innings, were unable to get to Madson. The Phillies won their seventh straight, 4-1, to remain five games back of the Mets, their first meeting of the season looming here Tuesday night.
The Giants have another game here tonight, then return home for seven, the first of which Monday evening (a makeup with Houston) will be played without Bonds.
“I don’t think he’ll play that game,” said Alou. “We’ll get to bed at 8 in the morning.”
That’s well past a 41-year-old’s turn-in time, assuming Bonds didn’t get enough shuteye during last night’s game. In the city that sets the gold standard for booing, last night’s reaction was muted, as was the slugger himself, not talking to reporters before or after the game.
“I don’t know,” said Alou, when asked if Bonds was pressing. “I have had to do a lot of talking for Barry. I wish he would talk to you himself.
“He is taking a lot of strike ones, getting behind, and that’s rare to see.”
Almost as rare as a guy playing left field who looks like he should be on the disabled list. Nevertheless, the Phillies, whose attendance has been down, sold out last night.
