MIAMI (AP) -- The bat shattered, the ball sailed and Barry Bonds
smiled.

Bonds' latest home run wasn't as memorable as the one before,
but it was the hot topic after the Florida Marlins beat the San
Francisco Giants 7-3 on Saturday night.

Bonds' broken-bat shot was his first home run since becoming the
fourth player to reach the 600-homer milestone Aug. 9.

He slowly jogged to first with the handle as he watched No. 601
barely clear the fence in the first inning. He dropped the handle
at first, stared at the barrel that landed near the bag and then
smiled widely as he began his home run trot.

It was his 34th homer of the season, but may have been his most
improbable ever.

"I don't think anyone has (homered) with a bat that exploded,''
Bonds said.

Bonds also walked three times, moving past Joe Morgan and into
sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list with 1,867.
Ted Williams is third with 2,019 walks.

The Marlins have walked Bonds six times in two games, continuing
to pitch around him. Even on the home run, rookie right-hander Josh
Beckett located his 2-0 fastball down and away -- exactly where he
wanted it.

"It was the only well-located pitch I threw him all night,''
Beckett said. "It must have looked like a beach ball to him.''

Many of the Marlins reserves came off the bench to watch Bonds'
homer land in the first row of the bleachers.

"We wanted it down, we got it down but he got it out,'' Marlins
manager Jeff Torborg said. "He's scary strong, he really is. A lot
of hitting coaches talk about getting extension, but that's
ridiculous. The head of the bat went almost as far as the ball. The
more you think about it, the more amazing it is.''

The players in the field were equally impressed.

"I looked at Preston (Wilson) and said, 'Oh my God,'''
outfielder Kevin Millar said. "I've never seen anything like that.
That's a bad man.''

Bonds has a home run, an RBI single and six walks in the first
two games of the four-game series. He also hit into a game-ending
double play with two runners on against Braden Looper as the Giants
lost their third straight.

The loss dropped San Francisco three games behind Los Angeles in
the NL wild-card race.

"You can't watch the scoreboard to see what other people are
doing. You've got to take care of yourself first,'' first baseman
J.T. Snow said.

Beckett (5-6) won for the first time in three starts despite
struggling with his location. He gave up five hits, three runs,
walked four and struck out four in five laborious innings. He threw
100 pitches but only 51 strikes.

"I'm trying to figure some things out still,'' said Beckett,
who altered his mechanics after his last start. "I'm feeling for
it right now.''

He got plenty of help.

The Marlins scored four times in the first innings, helped by
two Giants errors, and added three runs in the third off Ryan
Jensen (10-8).

Juan Encarnacion had a two-run double, and Mike Lowell ended an
0-for-28 slump with an RBI single. Andy Fox started the scoring
when he walked and later scored on Snow's error, a miscue that
snapped the Giants' seven-game errorless streak.

Jeff Kent had a two-run single in the third, cutting the lead to
4-3. But Jensen couldn't keep it close. He allowed six hits and
four earned runs in three innings -- his shortest outing since May
31.

Millar led off the third with his 13th homer and second in as
many nights. He has hit in six consecutive games and also has six
straight multihit games at home. He singled in the four-run first.

Charles Johnson, starting his first game since July 27, doubled
with two outs in the third, scoring Encarnacion and Lowell and
giving the Marlins a 7-3 lead.

Game notes
Beckett was 6 years old when Bonds hit his first major
league homer. ... The Marlins drew their fourth largest home crowd
of the season, with 20,926 on hand for Bonds' lone trip to Miami.
Only the home opener and two games against the Mets drew more. ...
Former major-leaguer Warren Cromartie had the catch of the night,
hanging outside a press box window to snare a foul ball off Bonds'
bat. He nearly fell into the stands.