Bonds is back, nearly homers

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds is just a foot or two shy of his old sluggin' self.\nIn his season debut for San Francisco, Bonds strode to the plate Monday night and tipped his batting helmet to the roaring, flashbulb-popping crowd, worked a 3-2 count and lined a double to left-center that fell just shy of clearing the wall.\nIt appeared at first that Bonds had slammed a homer in his first-at bat since last October, but wait! A fan had caught the ball, collecting it into the stands for a ground-rule double.\nThe scoreboard briefly flashed "704" -- which turned out to be premature.\nPlaying for the first time following three surgeries this year on his troublesome right knee, Bonds scored moments later on Ray Durham's single to right.\nBonds led off the second inning for the Giants, stretching his bat above his head as he walked out of the dugout then tipping his batting helmet to the fans before stepping into the batter's box against San Diego's Adam Eaton.\nThus began a wild, 11-pitch at-bat in which Eaton, who has given up three of Bonds' 703 career home runs, challenged Bonds and the crowd was on its feet all the way.\nThe sequence: ball one low and outside, ball two low and outside -- "Boo!" from the crowd. Called strike one, called strike two -- Bonds mouthing the word "Wow" in disbelief at the call. Foul ball into the second deck, another foul behind him into the second-tier seats, two straight towering fouls into the right-field stands, ball low and away, a foul to left.\nThen the double.\nThe 41-year-old Bonds, resuming his quest for Hank Aaron's career home run record of 755, received a warm ovation when he took his spot in left field, tipping his hat to the cheering crowd.\nA lengthy tribute and highlight show of the superstar played on the main center-field scoreboard before the first pitch, ending with "Welcome Back, Barry." Bonds is clearly still plenty loved in the Bay Area despite the steroids controversy surrounding him, though everybody expects far worse treatment on the road.\nThe Giants activated their star slugger from the 60-day disabled list earlier in the day after Bonds spent months rehabilitating his knee. He was in the starting lineup in left field and batting cleanup in the opener of a three-game series against the NL West-leading Padres.