It's Monday, May 31, 1999, and the Giants are beginning a four-game series against the Phillies at Veterans Stadium. Kirk Rueter will start for the Giants, while Randy Wolf gets the ball for the Phillies. Bonds is in left field and will bat sixth, as his replacement Stan Javier did in real life. The Phillies won the actual game, 4-3.
Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:
In the second with the Phillies leading 1-0, Jeff Kent drew a leadoff walk. Ellis Burks beat out a grounder to short for an infield single to put two men on, and Bonds followed with a fly ball to right center that dropped on the warning track and bounced over the wall for a book-rule double. Kent was awarded home plate to tie the game at one, but Burks had to stop at third. Rich Aurilia's popup was caught by Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal for the first out, and catcher Brent Mayne flew to Bobby Abreu in right for the second out, which brought Burks home to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. Rueter was called out on strikes to end the inning.
In the fourth with the Phillies leading 5-3, Bonds' fly to the warning track in right was caught by Abreu for out number one. Aurilia followed with a single to left, and Mayne walked to put two men on. Reliever Felix Rodriguez was next, and his base hit to right center scored Aurlila to cut the Philly lead to 5-4 after three and a half.
In the fifth with two out, Burks lined a double off the wall in left.
Bonds was next, and he hit Wolf's 1-1 hanging curve into the third row of seats in right center for a two-run homer, his fifty-eighth of the year and undisputed career homer Number 830. He's now thirty-eight homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. The ball traveled an estimated 403 feet. (Right field is 371 feet from home plate at Veterans Stadium.) The Giants led 6-5 after four and a half, and there was no further scoring.
In the seventh, Burks drew a two-out walk, but Bonds was retired on a comebacker to the mound to end the inning.
Now let's look at the rest of the game action:
In the bottom of the first, center fielder Doug Glanville grounded Rueter's first pitch inside the first base bag and down the right field line for a leadoff double. He held at second while second baseman Kevin Jordan grounded to third for out number one, but third baseman Scott Rolen doubled down the left field line to score Glanville and give the Phils a 1-0 lead.
The Fightins answered the Giants' pair of runs in the second by scoring four times. With one out, Lieberthal singled to left center. Shortstop Alex Arias beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single to put two men on. Wolf helped his own cause by serving a bloop into right center for a single that scored Lieberthal and tied the game at two. Glanville forced Wolf for the second out, with Arias moving to third. Jordan was next, and his single to left cashed in Arias to give the Phils a 3-2 lead while Glanville moved to third. Rolen topped off the inning with a double to center which scored Glanville and Jordan and extended the Philly lead to 5-2.
The Giants scored their other run in the top of the third. With one out, third baseman Bill Mueller singled up the middle. Snow's fly to left was caught at the wall by the Phillies' Ron Gant for out number one. but Kent grounded one inside the third base bag and down the left field line for a double. Mueller scored, and the Giants now trailed 5-3.
Final totals: Giants 6-10-0, Phillies 5-8-0.
W- F. Rodriguez (3-2)
S- Nen (34)
L- Wolf (6-10)
HR- SF: Bonds (58)
DW- Perez (2-1)
DS- Gomes (17)
DL- Johnstone (4-3)
LHR- PHI: Arias (3)
Here are the updated standings in the National League West:
Diamondbacks: 99-63
Giants: 89-73- 10 GB
Dodgers: 77-85-22 GB
Padres: 73-89- 26 GB
Rockies: 72-90- 27 GB
In the East:
Braves: 104-58
Mets: 95-67- 9 GB
Phillies: 76-86- 28 GB
Expos: 68-94- 36 GB
Marlins: 65-97- 39 GB
Bonds was named Player of the Game. He finished two for four with a home run and three RBIs. He's currently batting .279 (152-545) with fifty-eight home runs and 145 runs batted in.
Next: The Giants host the Cardinals on Friday, July 9. Darren Oliver will start for the Cardinals, while Rueter once again gets the ball for the Giants.
Thoughts?
Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:
In the second with the Phillies leading 1-0, Jeff Kent drew a leadoff walk. Ellis Burks beat out a grounder to short for an infield single to put two men on, and Bonds followed with a fly ball to right center that dropped on the warning track and bounced over the wall for a book-rule double. Kent was awarded home plate to tie the game at one, but Burks had to stop at third. Rich Aurilia's popup was caught by Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal for the first out, and catcher Brent Mayne flew to Bobby Abreu in right for the second out, which brought Burks home to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. Rueter was called out on strikes to end the inning.
In the fourth with the Phillies leading 5-3, Bonds' fly to the warning track in right was caught by Abreu for out number one. Aurilia followed with a single to left, and Mayne walked to put two men on. Reliever Felix Rodriguez was next, and his base hit to right center scored Aurlila to cut the Philly lead to 5-4 after three and a half.
In the fifth with two out, Burks lined a double off the wall in left.
Bonds was next, and he hit Wolf's 1-1 hanging curve into the third row of seats in right center for a two-run homer, his fifty-eighth of the year and undisputed career homer Number 830. He's now thirty-eight homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. The ball traveled an estimated 403 feet. (Right field is 371 feet from home plate at Veterans Stadium.) The Giants led 6-5 after four and a half, and there was no further scoring.
In the seventh, Burks drew a two-out walk, but Bonds was retired on a comebacker to the mound to end the inning.
Now let's look at the rest of the game action:
In the bottom of the first, center fielder Doug Glanville grounded Rueter's first pitch inside the first base bag and down the right field line for a leadoff double. He held at second while second baseman Kevin Jordan grounded to third for out number one, but third baseman Scott Rolen doubled down the left field line to score Glanville and give the Phils a 1-0 lead.
The Fightins answered the Giants' pair of runs in the second by scoring four times. With one out, Lieberthal singled to left center. Shortstop Alex Arias beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single to put two men on. Wolf helped his own cause by serving a bloop into right center for a single that scored Lieberthal and tied the game at two. Glanville forced Wolf for the second out, with Arias moving to third. Jordan was next, and his single to left cashed in Arias to give the Phils a 3-2 lead while Glanville moved to third. Rolen topped off the inning with a double to center which scored Glanville and Jordan and extended the Philly lead to 5-2.
The Giants scored their other run in the top of the third. With one out, third baseman Bill Mueller singled up the middle. Snow's fly to left was caught at the wall by the Phillies' Ron Gant for out number one. but Kent grounded one inside the third base bag and down the left field line for a double. Mueller scored, and the Giants now trailed 5-3.
Final totals: Giants 6-10-0, Phillies 5-8-0.
W- F. Rodriguez (3-2)
S- Nen (34)
L- Wolf (6-10)
HR- SF: Bonds (58)
DW- Perez (2-1)
DS- Gomes (17)
DL- Johnstone (4-3)
LHR- PHI: Arias (3)
Here are the updated standings in the National League West:
Diamondbacks: 99-63
Giants: 89-73- 10 GB
Dodgers: 77-85-22 GB
Padres: 73-89- 26 GB
Rockies: 72-90- 27 GB
In the East:
Braves: 104-58
Mets: 95-67- 9 GB
Phillies: 76-86- 28 GB
Expos: 68-94- 36 GB
Marlins: 65-97- 39 GB
Bonds was named Player of the Game. He finished two for four with a home run and three RBIs. He's currently batting .279 (152-545) with fifty-eight home runs and 145 runs batted in.
Next: The Giants host the Cardinals on Friday, July 9. Darren Oliver will start for the Cardinals, while Rueter once again gets the ball for the Giants.
Thoughts?
Last edited: