The Brewers Jeffrey Hammonds hit a three-run homer to left, and sent home three more runs with the fly ball that fell short of the wall. Hammonds hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh inning off Russ Ortiz, and Milwaukee got three more runs when Bonds dropped Hammonds' eighth-inning fly.

"I just took my eye off it in the last second," Bonds said. "I took it for granted that I had it."

In the top of the same inning, Bonds hit the 499th home run of his career, a drive off David Weathers. Bonds needs one more homer to become the 17th player to reach 500. p."I don't care about that right now," Bonds said. "I lost the game for our team."

"It shows the guy is human," Milwaukee manager Davey Lopes said of the misplay by Bonds.

Ortiz (2-1) gave up four runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed one hit in the first six innings, but the Brewers rallied in the seventh when Jeromy Burnitz hit an RBI single and Hammonds homered for a 4-2 lead.

April 13, 2001

Miller time

The Giants get their first look at Milwaukee's Miller Park this weekend after absorbing an 8-3 loss at San Diego that left them at 6-3 in the NL West.

They were expected to bring up another pitcher before Friday's series opener, because that's when they'll need to move Mark Gardner from the bullpen into the rotation. The Giants needed only four starters for the first two weeks because of off days.

It was anyone's guess which pitcher the Giants will bring up, or which position player will be taken off the roster to make room.

The pitchers most likely to get the call were relievers Chad Zerbe or Jamie Arnold, two of the last cuts of spring training. Both pitched very well in Arizona. Zerbe is a lefty and Arnold a righty. The Giants might like to have an extra lefty for the series against the Brewers because Jeromy Burnitz and Geoff Jenkins bat left-handed.

If Eric Davis, who didn't play in the first several days after twisting his ankle on the turf at Pac Bell Park, still hasn't been able to play by the time the Giants need to make the roster decision, he would likely be placed on the disabled list.

Davis struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance Thursday against the Padres.

Otherwise, the Giants have a tough decision. The most vulnerable player would seem to be Calvin Murray, but he's gotten off to a great start and the Giants like to have his speed and defense on the bench.

EASY GOING ERIC: He's survived cancer, former Cincinnati owner Marge Schott and an assortment of injuries over his highly decorated 17-year career, so maybe that's why veteran outfielder Eric Davis, at 38, finds pleasure in the smallest of things.

Asked how he's enjoying San Francisco so far -- the Giants are his sixth major-league team -- Davis chuckled.

"I could have fun in a phone booth," Davis said. "What's not to have fun? What's not to like? You should be able to get along with anybody if you respect them.

"If you treat people like you'd like to be treated, you can get along with anybody."

BROWNOUTS: The San Diego Padres and Anaheim Angels are confident they can avoid the rolling blackouts that are expected to hit California hard this summer as part of the state's energy crisis, but San Francisco might not be so lucky. Pac Bell Park is on a different power grid and could be affected. If so, the Giants are planning to treat the temporary darkness as they would a rain delay.

LEADING THE MAJORS IN SELLOUTS: When a few seats actually turned up empty in Cleveland's Jacobs Field last week, halting the Indians' major-league record sellout streak at 455 consecutive games, the longest current streak moves to San Francisco. The Giants, who return home on Tuesday against Los Angeles, have filled Pac Bell Park for 84 consecutive dates.

GARDNER'S TURN: San Francisco's No. 5 starter Mark Gardner will make his first start on Saturday at Milwaukee. That allows Russ Ortiz to pitch on his normal four days' rest.

FEELING THE HEAT: Barry Bonds snapped an 0-for-21 slump -- the second-longest of his career -- with a solo homer on Thursday against the Padres. It was the 496th of his career. Bonds' only two homers and two RBI this year have come against the Padres.

Bonds, hitting .125 (4-for-32), said there is pressure approaching 500 home runs.

"You're in the position to accomplish something special, something you never thought was possible," Bonds was quoted by the Associated Press. "It seems like you're out on center stage, all alone.

"Maybe that's why I haven't hit in the playoffs," he said. "The spotlight, it's tough."

Bonds' longest slump was 0-for-22 in April 1991 while with Pittsburgh.

BETWEEN THE LINES: Giants' second baseman Jeff Kent has hit four homers, all coming against the Padres. Kent's hitting .242 with 10 RBI. ... Livan Hernandez is 4-11 with a 5.74 ERA in 19 career starts in April.

Aurilia adjusts to No. 2 hole

So far, Rich Aurilia's move to the No. 2 spot in the lineup has gone well.

Aurilia, who batted sixth or seventh for much of his career -- until the trade of Bill Mueller left a void at No. 2 -- was hitting .400 with a .478 on-base percentage through the first week of the season.

"I guess I'm going to get used to it," Aurilia said. "It's going to take more than just spring training to do it. I am used to hitting down in the lineup. When they move you to the top that does change the game."

Aurilia said he spent much of the spring trying to learn how to be a No. 2 hitter, but the Giants would rather than he just worry about being a hitter.

"You gotta be yourself," said manager Dusty Baker. "I don't want him to change. There are a few times he'll have to get runner over and a few times he'll have to bunt, but the rest of the time he'll just be Richie."

In other words, the best offensive shortstop in the National League. In Aurilia's last two seasons he has hit 22 and 20 home runs, with 80 and 79 RBI. No Giants shortstop had back-to-back 20-homer seasons since Alvin Dark in 1953-54.

Having that power lurking in the seventh spot in the order gave the Giants one of the deepest lineups in the league.

That lineup sprung a significant leak in the No. 2 spot when Mueller was traded to the Cubs. Baker said this spring that he'd try a few people in that spot, but it turned out that Aurilia was there virtually every time he played.

Mueller, whose Cubs played the Giants six times in the Cactus League, said that his former teammate will eventually figure out the job.

"It will just take time," Mueller said. "He's an excellent player. He's going to fit fine. His mindset has been from down in the lineup to drive in runs and hit home runs. He's done a helluva job in the spot he was in. Anytime you move in the lineup it's an adjustment."