Once Again, Bonds Fails to Win a Title

MIAMI — Barry Bonds ended another season without a championship Saturday. He reached his dream of playing in a World Series last season, but the San Francisco Giants lost to the Angels in seven games.

Bonds got another chance this season, but the Florida Marlins beat the Giants, 7-6, Saturday to win the best-of-five playoff series, 3-1 -- leaving him without a title for the 18th consecutive season.

Bonds was hitless in two at-bats with a walk and an RBI in Game 4, getting three chances to help the Giants win. He popped out to first, flied to deep center and hit a sacrifice fly to left in a four-run sixth inning.

The Marlins walked him intentionally with two out and nobody on in the eighth of a 5-5 game.

Bonds finished the series with two hits in nine at-bats with two RBIs. He also drew eight walks -- six intentional.

“See y’all in spring training,” Bonds said, his only comment to reporters after the game.

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Giant Manager Felipe Alou wanted to start ace Jason Schmidt, who threw a three-hit shutout against the Marlins in Game 1.

But the right-hander, who has a history of elbow problems, was reluctant to pitch on three days’ rest, something he has never done.

Instead, Alou went with Jerome Williams, who was the first Giant rookie to start a postseason game since Cliff Melton in the 1937 World Series, and he retired only six batters, yielding five hits and three runs.

“I have faith in all of our pitchers,” Schmidt said. “I think everybody does. That was the big thing. You don’t get here just having one pitcher. Our rookies have kind of carried us this year. Jerome has been one of our most stable pitchers all season. So throwing him out there, I don’t think anybody had any doubts.”

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The Marlins drew a division series-record 65,464 fans for Game 4. They averaged only 16,290 fans for their 81 regular-season home games, the third-lowest mark in the majors.

“I say better late than never,” first baseman Derrek Lee said amid the champagne celebration in the clubhouse. “They haven’t been here all year, but at least they’re jumping on the bandwagon now.”

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The Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis became the first pitcher to get three hits in a postseason game since the Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser in the 1988 World Series. Willis was the first by a rookie pitcher to it.