Bonds has 63 home runs after belting three more

DENVER -- Barry Bonds hit three home runs Sunday to give him 63 for the season, passing Roger Maris' once-magical mark and moving him closer to Mark McGwire's record.

Bonds' third homer was a three-run shot in the 11th inning that lifted the San Francisco Giants over the Colorado Rockies 9-4.

Playing at Coors Field, Bonds broke Maris' record of 61 for most homers in a season by a left-handed hitter.

Bonds has 18 games left to break McGwire's record of 70 set in 1998. Bonds is now eight games ahead of McGwire's pace.

The win increased San Francisco's lead in the NL wild card race. The Giants are one game ahead of St. Louis.

Bonds connected for his second three-homer game of the season. He also did it May 19 at Atlanta.

In the 11th, after J.T. Snow broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run homer, Bonds hit a three-run shot off Todd Belitz (0-1).

Wayne Gomes (6-3) pitched the 10th for the win.

BRAVES 9, CUBS 5

CHICAGO -- B.J. Surhoff homered, doubled twice and drove in four runs as Atlanta completed a three-game sweep in Wrigley Field, beating slumping Chicago.

Surhoff and Andruw Jones hit back-to-back homers in the first inning off Jason Bere as Atlanta remained 3 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East. Marcus Giles also homered for the Braves.

Sammy Sosa hit his 54th homer for Chicago and Matt Stairs added a three-run shot, but the Cubs lost their fifth straight.

Bere (10-9) lasted just three innings, giving up seven hits and five runs.

Kevin Millwood pitched the first three innings -- giving up six hits and four runs -- but did not return after the game was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 19 minutes in the bottom of the fourth. Kerry Ligtenberg (2-3) allowed one hit in two innings of relief.

ASTROS 8, BREWERS 0

HOUSTON -- Roy Oswalt struck out 12 in his first career shutout, leading Houston over Milwaukee.

Oswalt (14-2), in his 18th career start, allowed seven hits and one walk to win his sixth straight decision.

Houston, in command in the NL Central, has won 17 of its last 23 games.

Jeff Bagwell, Moises Alou, Brad Ausmus and Richard Hidalgo all homered for the Astros.

DIAMONDBACKS 8, PADRES 2

PHOENIX -- Damian Miller homered and drove in four runs to lead Arizona.

Bobby Witt (3-1) didn't allow a hit until Phil Nevin led off the fifth with a home run. Witt worked one more inning, allowing two runs and four hits for his second victory in three starts since returning from an elbow strain that happened April 7.

The NL West-leading Diamondbacks scored five runs and had eight hits in four innings against Bobby Jones (8-18), who lost his fourth straight start.

MARLINS 4, METS 2

MIAMI -- Charles Johnson drove in two runs to help Juan Acevedo win for the first time in more than a year as Florida snapped New York's six-game winning streak.

Acevedo (1-3) didn't allow a baserunner in three innings for his first victory since Sept. 3, 2000, for Milwaukee at Colorado.

PHILLIES 12, EXPOS 4

MONTREAL -- Johnny Estrada hit an RBI double to begin a six-run fifth inning and drew a bases-loaded walk to cap the burst, leading Philadelphia past Montreal.

Cliff Politte (2-2) allowed one hit in 2 1-3 innings in relief.

REDS 5, PIRATES 3

PITTSBURGH -- Aaron Boone hit a two-run double in the first inning to lead Cincinnati.

Dennys Reyes (2-6) allowed one run in five innings for the win. Danny Graves got four outs for his 26th save.

-- From wire reports