SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Both managers advised their players to forget what happened. The San Francisco Giants know their lineup isn't really this good - and the Arizona Diamondbacks can't dwell on the possibility they're really this bad.
Barry Bonds hit his 697th homer and drove in three runs, and Edgardo Alfonzo had five hits in the Giants' 18-7 victory over the Diamondbacks on Friday night.
Bonds' first homer in five games easily reached the bleachers in right-center in the second inning. The two-run shot off Edgar Gonzalez was Bonds' 39th of the season - but it was just one of several big blows in the Giants' best offensive game in more than two years.
Led by Alfonzo and J.T. Snow, who had four hits, the Giants pounded out 18 hits against Arizona's pathetic pitching staff. Light-hitting Cody Ransom even drove in four runs as the Giants batted around four times in the first six innings.
"These kinds of games just happen," said Dustan Mohr, who had a two-run double. "They haven't happened for us very often, but sometimes you go out there and hit everything you swing at. But it's still just one game."
The victory, coupled with the Dodgers' loss at St. Louis, moved the Giants within 5½ games of Los Angeles in the NL West. San Francisco also moved within one game of the front-running Chicago Cubs in the wild-card race - though the Cubs, whose game at Florida was postponed, have played four fewer games than the Giants.
San Francisco scored 10 runs in the first two innings against Gonzalez (0-8), then added four more in the fifth and four unearned runs in the sixth to win for just the third time in eight games.
The numbers were amazing, particularly for the heart of San Francisco's order: Alfonzo and Snow scored four runs apiece, while Deivi Cruz and Bonds crossed the plate three times. Ransom had three hits, and six players drove in at least two runs apiece.
But Bonds' home run total, which is updated each game on the outfield wall, remained the most daunting statistic in the park.
Bonds went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly, maintaining his lead in the NL batting race while also drawing two more intentional walks - including his 100th of the season, which extended his major league record even when the Giants had a six-run lead in the fifth.
"Maybe we should take away that 697 number (from the outfield wall)," manager Felipe Alou said. "Maybe they'd pitch to him a little more. That's intimidating."
The Diamondbacks' miserable season reached perhaps its lowest point yet, with bad pitching and terrible defense wasting 15 hits in their sixth straight loss to the Giants. With its fourth loss in five games overall, Arizona (42-93) fell 51 games under .500 for the first time in franchise history.
"We hadn't had one of those for quite some time," manager Al Pedrique said. "I told the team to forget it and just come back tomorrow and be ready to show what you do."
The Diamondbacks had almost no chance after another session of batting practice thrown by Gonzalez, who allowed eight hits and tied a franchise record with 10 earned runs while getting just three outs. The right-hander raised his ERA from 7.68 to 9.64.
"But he's going to get the ball again," Pedrique said. "Before this game, he had thrown pretty well. He just struggled with location all night."
Rookie Brad Hennessey was scarcely better for the Giants, throwing 93 pitches while laboring through four innings. Hennessey allowed nine hits, four walks and five runs.
Veteran right-hander Dave Burba (4-1), acquired from Milwaukee on Thursday, got the win with two innings of scoreless relief.
Alex Cintron had three hits and Chad Tracy drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks.
"It was one of those games you try and forget when you leave the park," Tracy said.
Arizona's first five batters reached base against Hennessey, but Gonzalez struck out with the bases loaded after the Diamondbacks scored three runs. The Giants answered with six runs in their half of the first, including Ransom's two-run single.
San Francisco added four more in the second on shots from Bonds and Alfonzo, and Michael Tucker's bases-loaded walk. The Giants batted around again in the fifth, also scoring four runs.
Notes: Gonzalez is the 413th pitcher to allow a homer to Bonds. His 10 earned runs matched Randy Johnson's franchise worst, set April 11 of last season. ... Giants C A.J. Pierzynski was hit by two pitches. Gonzalez plunked him with the bases loaded in the first.
