Bonds, Snow Turn Up the Power

NEW YORK â€”  Barry Bonds put away his earring, not his power stroke.

Bonds hit his major league-leading 56th home run Monday, becoming the fastest player to reach the mark as the San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets, 6-5.

J.T. Snow hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as San Francisco averted a four-game sweep at Shea Stadium, moved within 21/2 games of National League West leader Arizona and took a half-game lead over idle Chicago in the wild-card race.

“J.T. won the game for us,� Bonds said. “Every game is important for us right now.�

Bonds also doubled, singled and walked. Needing a triple for the cycle, he grounded out in the ninth.

The Giant slugger recently removed the diamond stud he wears in his left ear. He did it because of an infection, not this weekend’s flap involving Seattle reliever Arthur Rhodes’ irritation over being ordered to remove his earrings.

“It was bleeding, so I took it out to let it heal,� he said.

Rick White (3-5) retired Bonds and Jeff Kent on grounders to start the ninth. But John Vander Wal singled and Snow hit his seventh homer, and second in the series, for a 6-4 lead.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s leadoff homer against reliever Felix Rodriguez (8-1) tied the score, 4-4, in the eighth.

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50-Homer Seasons 70 --Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, 1998

66 --Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs, 1998

65 --Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, 1999

63 --Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs, 1999

61 --Roger Maris, N.Y. Yankees, 1961

60 --Babe Ruth, N.Y. Yankees, 1927

59 --Babe Ruth, N.Y. Yankees, 1921

58 --Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1932

58 --Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers, 1938

58 --Mark McGwire, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals, 1997

56 --Hack Wilson, Chicago Cubs, 1930

56 --Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners, 1998

56 --Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners, 1997

56 --Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, 2001

54 --Babe Ruth, N.Y. Yankees, 1920

54 --Babe Ruth, N.Y. Yankees, 1928

54 --Ralph Kiner, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1949

54 --Mickey Mantle, N.Y. Yankees, 1961

52 --Mickey Mantle, N.Y. Yankees, 1956

52 --Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants, 1965

52 --George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, 1977

52 --Mark McGwire, Oakland Athletics, 1996

51 --Ralph Kiner, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1947

51 --Johnny Mize, N.Y. Giants, 1947

51 --Willie Mays, N.Y. Giants, 1955

51 --Cecil Fielder, Detroit Tigers, 1990

50 --Jimmie Foxx, Boston Red Sox, 1938

50 --Albert Belle, Cleveland Indians, 1995

50 --Brady Anderson, Baltimore Orioles, 1996

50 --Greg Vaughn, San Diego Padres, 1998

50 --Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs, 2000