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--> --> Barry Bonds addresses the crowd during Sunday's ceremony celebrating HR No. 500.AP Giants win on Bonds' day SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - While Barry Bonds waited for No. 40, Calvin Murray embraced No. 4. Murray hit a three-run homer in the second inning as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 Sunday for their third straight victory. It was Murray's fourth home run of the season, which he has spent bouncing between the Giants and Triple-A Fresno. "I give it all I've got," said Murray, who is batting .367 over his last 15 games with two home runs and nine RBIs. The day had been set aside to honor Bonds, who on April 17 became the 17th major leaguer to hit 500 homers. A plaque commemorating the achievement was dedicated, and Bonds was feted with an on-field ceremony. The three-game series against the Cardinals also had been hyped as a showdown between Bonds, who leads the majors with 39 homers, and Mark McGwire, who hit a record 70 home runs in 1998. But neither member of the elite 500 club made much of an impact. McGwire went 0-for-4, extending his hitless streak to 0-for-22 over six games. Bonds walked three times before a seventh-inning drive to deep left field put the sellout crowd on its feet. But the ball fell about a foot short of a home run, and Bonds got a double. "He'll get to 40 someday soon," manager Dusty Baker said. Bonds returned to the lineup after sitting out Saturday with a sore right wrist. He injured it while snagging Albert Pujols' deep fly to left on Friday. The Cardinals, who have lost a season-low five straight, went up 1-0 on Jim Edmonds' sacrifice fly in the first. Mike Matheny added a run-scoring single off Mark Gardner in the second, followed by Fernando Vina's sacrifice fly and Placido Polanco's RBI single as St. Louis went ahead 4-0. Gardner, who had won his previous three starts, lasted just 1 2-3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits. He was replaced by Chad Zerbe (2-0), called up Friday from Triple-A Fresno, and he allowed one hit in 4 1-3 innings. San Francisco rallied for five runs in the second. Ramon Martinez and Zerbe each hit RBI singles before Murray's three-run homer off Andy Benes (6-6) put the Giants ahead 5-4. "It was just a bad day on a day when they needed me to pitch well," Benes said. Robb Nen pitched the ninth for his NL-leading 25th save in 29 chances, as the Giants swept the third of their last four series at home. Bonds, who has not homered in six games, needs one more to match Jimmie Foxx for 10th on the career list with 534. Bonds' last homer was against Darryl Kile on June 23 in St. Louis. Zerbe, a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates growing up, would have liked to see his childhood hero get his 40th. "I was kinda hoping he'd get a home run on Barry Bonds Day," Zerbe said. McGwire needs two homers to match Reggie Jackson for sixth at 563. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing