reggie is creaming all over himself over barry right now...

The pitch to Barry Bonds was right where John Patterson wanted it, a cut fastball that dipped inside, meant to be a ball that might serve to push the San Francisco Giants slugger a tad off the plate.

And then, in a blink, Bonds whipped his bat, driving the ball over the right-field wall. The two-run shot, his 707th career homer and fourth in four games, came in the first inning last night and started the Giants on their way to a 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.

"I don't know how he hit it. We were all talking about it after we came into the dugout," Patterson said. "It's like fighting Ali. You make one little mistake, and he makes you pay. You realize, at some point, Barry's going to get you."

And with Bonds back in the lineup after missing the season's first 142 games, the Giants have won five straight games to cling to an outside chance of catching the NL West-leading San Diego Padres. San Diego beat Colorado 5-2 to keep its five-game lead.