SAN FRANCISCO -- The atmosphere at AT&T Park was extra-charged Monday night, since the reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs provided the Giants' opposition. But the mood bore no comparison to the excitement that unfolded a decade ago, when Giants left fielder Barry Bonds broke the Major League record for career homers with 756.
The Giants recaptured some of Bonds' magic as the organization honored him on the 10th anniversary of his milestone roundtripper. A video depicting Bonds' record-breaking moment was played on the scoreboard before the third inning began. The image of a grinning Bonds waving to the crowd from a broadcast booth was also shown.
"It doesn't feel like 10 years," Bonds said before the game. "It doesn't even feel like I've been out of baseball 10 years. It feels like yesterday."
Bonds drilled No. 756 off Washington's Mike Baczik with one out and nobody on base in the fifth inning, breaking a 4-4 tie. Washington ultimately triumphed, 8-6. Bonds finished that season and his career with 762 homers, as the Giants declined to offer him a contract for the following year.
Bonds surpassed Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who recorded a message of congratulations to Bonds on that decade-old night. Aaron called it a "privilege" to hold the record for 33 years and expressed hope that Bonds' new standard would inspire future generations of sluggers to nudge the bar higher.
• Giants manager Bruce Bochy said closer Mark Melancon could continue an injury rehabilitation assignment with Class A Advanced San Jose as early as Tuesday. Melancon hasn't pitched for the Giants since June 27.
• Bochy noted that right-hander Johnny Cueto (blisters, forearm tightness) could resume throwing "in a few days."