Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 37

MONDAY. MAY 22, 2006 11D DETROIT FREE PRESS WWTV.FREEP.COM Bonds heads home still tied with Ruth FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES Barry Bonds prepares for an at-bat Sunday in Oakland. Bonds was 2-for-3, with two singles and an intentional walk, in the Giants' 6-0 victory over the host A's. The Cardinals visit San Francisco today. ft -i and first shutout, and San Francisco took two of three in the Bay Bridge Series to win its second straight series after sweeping the defending NL champion Astros last week.

Bonds was intentionally walked for the 20th time this year in the first with runners on second and third with one out. Manager Felipe Alou has been pleased with Bonds' recent hitting success. "I've been waiting, wanting to see Barry hit .300 and be the hitter he is," Alou said. "It took a little time for him to get into a groove, but it's coming on." Bonds singled in the fourth inning, grounded out in the fifth and singled in the seventh. He was lifted for pinch-hitter Dan Ortmeier in the ninth.

said of his Cardinals counterpart, who hit his major league-leading 22nd homer Sunday. Pujols homered for the third straight game and reached 22 homers in only 44 games, the second-fewest in baseball history. Bonds did it in 43 games in 2001 on the way to 73 homers and breaking Mark McGwire's single-season record of 70. "The difference is Albert has been doing it four years, five years," said Giants catcher and ex-Cardinal Mike Matheny. "Barry's been doing it for 20." Mark Sweeney hit a two-run double, Randy Winn singled in two runs, and Ray Durham drove in a run on a groundout to help Cain (2-5) end a three-game losing streak.

Cain got his second career complete game OAKLAND, Calif. Barry Bonds' quest to pass Babe Ruth for sole possession of second place on the home run list is headed for San Francisco, where the Giants open a three-game series tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bonds went 2-for-3 with two singles and an intentional walk, and Matt Cain pitched a one-hitter in the Giants' 6-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Bonds remained at 714 home runs a day after connecting to tie Ruth for second behind Hank Aaron's 755.

"I'm just glad it's over with and you guys can watch Albert Pujols now, because he's doing some wonderful things," Bonds DONNA Press Tim Herron watches his shot from the ninth tee during the final round of the Colonial. Herron won for the first time since 1999. KEVORK PJANSEZIANAssociated Press Herron tops the Colonial Win in playoff bis TIGERS CORNER DETROIT 1, CINCINNATI ID Top savior Jones says Tigers' run 'is for real' roianco produces first in seven years Dinah for Timers ByJONPAULMOROSI free press sports writer GOLF FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES On deck: Royals Series: Tigers at Kansas City for four games, tonight through Thursday. TVradio: Tonight 8:10, no TV, WXYT-AM (1270); Tuesday 8:10 p.m., Fox Sports Net, WXYT-AM (1270); Wednesday 8:10 p.m., FSN, WXYT; Thursday p.m., no TV, WXYT. Pitching: Tonight RH Justin Verlander (5-3, 3.18 ERA) vs.

LH Jeremy Affeldt (2-3, 5.46); Tuesday LH Kenny Rogers (7-2, 2.91) vs. RH Runelvys Hernandez (1-3, 6.75); Wednesday RH Jeremy Bonderman vs. LH Mark Redman Thursday LH Mike Maroth (5-2, 2.45) vs. RH Denny Bautista (0-2, 3.75). A 4 I Vt5--; 7 1 1 fW I t( JK) A-.

A schedule Tigers shaded. Also on ESPN2. Home games SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI I SAT JLJLJ1 25 25 26 27 Det. K.C. K.C.

K.C. K.C. Cle. Cle. 1, 8:10 8:10 8:10 2:10 7:05 7:05 GM)FSNFSN FSN FSN 28 29 JO 31 1 2 3 Cle.

NYY NYY NYY NYY Bos. Bos. 1:05 1:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 7:05 FSN FSN FSN FSN Ch20 FSN Ch.20 JERRY S. MENDOZAAssociated Press Tigers second baseman Ramon Santiago snags catcher Vance Wilson's throw before tagging Felipe Lopez, who was trying to steal second base, for the second out of the eighth inning. Lopez was on base with a walk.

Another timely move pays off for Leyland ByJONPAULMOROSI free press sports writer Todd Jones has saved enough games 239 overall and, now, a franchise-record 155 with the Tigers that postgame handshakes have become routine. Sunday was different. After he passed Mike Hen-neman as Detroit's foremost fireman, his teammates surrounded him and displayed an uncommon enthusiasm as they congratulated him evidence of the impact that Jones, the player, and Jones, the person, have made on the team. "To me, that's the ultimate compliment when teammates express their joy," catcher Vance Wilson said. "He loves the game.

He loves to compete. He loves his teammates. You watch him with guys he played with five years ago there's big hugs. "He's an emotional guy. He cares a lot about this game.

That's a special feeling, to hold that down. It takes a long time to do that." Jones, who was aware of his chance to claim the record when he signed a two-year deal before the season, said Sunday he was concerned with simply preserving the lead, and the Tigers' second 1-0 win this year. "This is another one of those games we wouldn't have won when I was here last," Jones said. "Each one we pull out reinforces to everyone around town that this is for real." Jones played with Henne-man in Houston, and might have called him Sunday, but he has since lost his cell phone number. Jones did, however, keep track of several keepsakes from the day including the scorecard and game ball.

I TOLD YOU: Magglio Ordonez called Curtis Granderson's Saturday shot. You might say Willie Horton did the same. With the Tigers down to their last out Saturday, Ordonez told teammate Ramon Santiago that Granderson a good low-ball hitter was going to hit Dave Weathers' fastball hard. He did, curling a home run inside the leftfield foul pole. The homer provided a snapshot of the immense potential Horton saw in 2002, when Granderson was a first-year player at Class A Oneonta.

On Sunday, Horton, the Tigers legend, recalled a dinner he shared with Granderson FORT WORTH, Texas -Tim Herron wanted to treat the final round of the Colonial as if he were a member playing a Sunday afternoon round. While it looked exactly like that at times, the player affectionately known as "Lumpy" won on the PGA Tour for the first time in seven years. He beat Richard Johnson with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff, the first time since 1994 that extra holes were needed at Hogan's Alley. "This winning thing isn't that easy," Herron said after his winning 9'A-foot birdie putt on the 382-yard 17th hole. It was Herron's first win since Bay Hill in 1999.

He gets the winner's plaid jacket and $1.08 million more than what he got for his three previous wins combined. Herron (two-under 68) and Johnson (67), who ended regulation tied at 12-under 268, both had long drives on the first playoff hole and had to settle for two-putt pars. They then went to No. 17, where, after similar drives, Johnson's approach was 25 feet short of the hole. Johnson had birdies on the same two par-fours to finish regulation.

He trailed Herron by three strokes after three-putting the 188-yard 16th hole for a bogey. But Herron couldn't close it out, and had to scramble to stay in the lead. "I thought I was out of it," Johnson said. "I had no idea what was going on behind me." Rod Pampling, who won at Bay Hill in March and was in the final group with Herron, had his second straight even-par round since his career-best 63 Friday. He finished alone in third, two strokes back.

Stephen Ames (63), with an incredible comeback after faltering in the third round, and Ben Crane (64) tied for fourth at 271 with Brett Quigley (66), Arron Oberholser (67), Stewart Cink (68), Peter Lonard (70) and Nathan Green (70). LPGA TOUR; Lorena Ochoa wasn't on the leaderboard for the first two rounds of the Sybase Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y. When the rain-shortened tournament was over, however, she was right where she has been for the last two months. Ochoa extended her impressive run with a two-stroke victory, the sixth straight tournament which she has either won or been the runner-up. The 24-year-old Mexican closed a five-under 66 with a 4-foot birdie putt for a five-under 208 total that allowed her to Tigers left-hander Nate Robertson pitched 7'A innings that manager Jim Leyland described as "absolutely tremendous," "fantastic" and "outstanding." Robertson was sharp early, at one point striking out four (the Nos.2-5 hitters) in succession.

Right-hander Fernando Rodney won in relief. and his parents that summer. "Every time I look at him, I think of that," Horton said. "I told him, 'Son, you'll be in the big leagues in about three years if you keep After Saturday's game, Granderson hoped to make it to a restaurant by 11 p.m., but the late finish and fireworks traffic slowed him. He felt fortunate to find food at Bahama Breeze in Troy.

"That was my big celebration," he said. His favorite voicemail came from Doug Vetter, a Cincinnati native, lifelong Reds fan and former Granderson teammate at Illinois-Chicago. "He left a loud message," Granderson said. "I knew who it was, right away. He was excited.

I was surprised, because he is a Reds fan." NOTEBOOK: Horton described Saturday night's sellout (43,128) as the sort of crowd he once saw at Tiger Stadium. "Something," he said, "is happening here." Dmitri Young went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Sunday. "They're throwing the ball by him," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's got to get caught up." Leyland called, but cpuldn't reach Barry Bonds on Sunday to congratulate him on No. 714.

JERRY S. MENDOZAAssociated Press Jim Leyland is an honest boss. When he grants a day off, he rarely reneges even in close games, even in the late innings, even with the go-ahead run on base. Pinch-hitters and defensive substitutions may be the National League norm, but not here, not now. Not, at least, until the Reds, an old senior circuit foe, visited Comerica Park.

Saturday's hero was Curtis Granderson, who entered as a defensive replacement and hit a tying homer in the ninth inning of a 10-inning victory. Sunday's script begged for managerial intervention in the eighth. The inning began with a walk and bunt gone terribly right, as the otherwise flawless Aaron Harang flung Vance Wilson's sacrifice well wide of first base to put runners at the corners with none out. As 31,515 roared, Placido Polanco and Ivan Rodriguez were spotted in the far end of the home dugout, limbering up, bats in hand. "Everybody," Rodriguez said, "was ready." After a Granderson strikeout, Leyland had just the man to put the ball in play.

Polanco, the Tigers' contact hitter par excellence, won the game with his first swing. His single through the right side allowed Brandon Inge to score in the Tigers' 1-0, series-clinching victory Sunday. Another day, another shoulder-shrugging reason to believe: Leyland, who has used pinch-hitters infrequently, won Sunday because of his willingness to use a resting player at the game's crucial juncture. "I knew he wasn't going to strike out," Leyland said of Polanco, who has fanned six times in 145 at-bats. "He's going to put the ball in play." Polanco gave the Tigers their eighth shutout and ninth win in 10 games and made a winner of Fernando Rodney (3-1), after Nate Robertson v.

made a perfect throw home. Wilson tagged Dunn who, at that point, had the momentum of a cement mixer careening at warp speed and wisely stepped aside. "He's a football player," Wilson said. "He's the type of guy who can really hurt you." Dunn's next, best chance to hurt the Tigers with his bat came after Todd Jones hit Kearns with a pitch to begin the ninth. Dunn, though, took the bat out of his own hands with a self-initiated sacrifice bunt.

His manager, Jerry Narron, was not pleased. "Do you think I'm going to have Adam Dunn bunt?" Narron told the Dayton Daily News. "For us to win, we can't play stupid baseball." The Detroiters, meanwhile, continued on their course of sound, responsible, winning baseball. Jones finished the ninth without further incident, and received hugs, handshakes and backslaps from his teammates after his 155th save as a Tiger, a club record announced on the scoreboard as the happy crowd filed away. "This stadium," Jones promised, "has never seen what it's going to see this year." Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-2ZU097 or jmorosiiafreepress.com.

i pitched 7Va innings Leyland described at different times as "absolutely tremendous," "fantastic" and "outstanding." Robertson was sharp early (nine up, nine down in 36 pitches) and at one point struck out four (the Nos. 2-5 hitters) in succession. Then came the mettle-testing fourth. He walked Ryan Freel. Ken Griffey playing perhaps his final game in Detroit, pulled a ground-rule double into the rightfield corner.

And Austin Kearns walked. That loaded the bases for Adam Dunn not a hitter one wishes to face in such a scenario. But Robertson was careful and effective. When he missed, he missed low, and not by much. Then, at 3-2, he placed a slider on the outside corner.

Swing. Miss. Inning over. "That pitch, if it's on, a lefthander's going to see it at least once," Robertson said. Dunn returned in the seventh with a single.

Edwin En-carnacion followed with a double that might have scored a speedy runner. Dunn, though, is 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, and, as Wilson put it, "one of the bigger guys in the game." He was held up at third. His best chance to score came two batters later, when Brandon Phillips grounded to third. Inge, however, i retake the season money lead after losing it last week. "I didn't make any bogeys and it's a fine round when you don't make any bogeys on a course like this," she said.

"We knew the scores wouldn't be too low and we hung around the first two Lorena Ochoa i days and knew we would have a chance to win the tournament. On the back nine we hit a couple close and made the putts and then we were one shot behind and then in the lead." Ochoa started the final round four strokes off the lead. Hee-Won Han, the champion here In 2003, had a closing 69 and tied for second with rookie Kyeong Bae. Annika Sorenstam, a two-time winner of this event coming off her first missed cut since 2002, finished with a three-over 74 for a 213, five strokes back. ft ii mini i i JERRY S.

MENDOZA Assorted Press Adam Dunn retreats to the dugout after fanning against Tigers lefthander Nate Robertson for the Reds' final out of the fourth inning..