NATIONAL LEAGUE Bonds homers, but Bucs rally for 8-7 win

He became the first player to hit 30 homers in 13 straight seasons.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Another record night for Barry Bonds didn't get the San Francisco Giants a win.
Bonds became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in 13 straight seasons, but the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants 8-7 Tuesday night on Rob Mackowiak's RBI double with two outs in the ninth inning.
Bonds homered leading off the seventh, tying the score 4-all against reliever John Grabow. It made Bonds just the second player to hit 30 homers 14 times -- only Hank Aaron (15) has more. Jimmie Foxx is the only other player with 12 consecutive 30-homer seasons, accomplishing the feat from 1929-40.
"He's possibly the best player that ever played," Pittsburgh's Jack Wilson said. "He's got that perfect home-run swing, and you don't get surprised by anything that guy does."
First one with Pirates
Bonds, who walked in his first two plate appearances, had his first 30-homer season with the Pirates in 1990 when he hit 33. He hit 25 homers the following season and began his streak with 34 in 1992, his last season with Pittsburgh.
Bonds, who did not speak to reporters after the game, also became the seventh player in major league history to reach base 5,000 times when he walked in the first inning.
After Wilson singled in the ninth off Matt Herges (4-5), Mackowiak's drive off the right-field wall was fielded by Michael Tucker. Ray Durham's relay throw to the plate wasn't perfect, but catcher A.J. Pierzynski still thought he would get Wilson as he lunged across the plate.
"The throw was a little up the [first-base] line, but the guy made a great slide," Pierzynski said. "I pretty much put my glove across the plate, but the umpire said he got around it."
Tucker hit his second home run of the game and 12th of the season off Jose Mesa with two outs in the top of the ninth to tie it at 7. Tucker also hit a solo homer in the second inning off Josh Fogg.
Blows save, but gets win
Mesa (3-1) earned the win despite blowing a save, and the Pirates won their third straight game.
"We didn't have a lot of hits, but we certainly had the hits we needed," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said.
Ty Wigginton's RBI single off Jason Christiansen capped a three-run rally with two outs in the eighth to give the Pirates a 7-6 lead. Tike Redman's two-run double off Christiansen tied it at 6. Craig Wilson had reached on an error by shortstop Cody Ransom after Mackowiak's one-out single.
Grabow faced four batters and allowed four hits. After Pierzynski followed Bonds' homer with a solo homer to give San Francisco a 5-4 lead, Grabow allowed a double to Marquis Grissom and an infield single to Tucker. Salomon Torres struck out Cruz, and Grissom scored when the Pirates couldn't turn a double play on pinch-hitter Ricky Ledee's grounder to second.