OAKLAND, Calif. -- The agonizing wait is over for Barry Bonds. He and the Babe are even at 714.\nBonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the career home run list Saturday, ending a nine-game homerless stretch with a shot into the first deck of the elevated stands in right-center during San Francisco's 4-2, 10-inning victory over the Oakland Athletics.\n"This is a great accomplishment because of Babe Ruth and what he brought to the game of baseball and his legacy in the game of baseball," Bonds said. "This and a World Series ring to me would be the ultimate. He changed the game of baseball. ... It's just great to be in the same class."\nThe second-inning drive landed about eight rows up in the seats overlooking the high fence just to the left of the out-of-town scoreboard. Though the A's don't provide estimated distances on home runs, this one appeared to travel about 400 feet -- far from being one of Bonds' trademark behemoth drives.\nBooed when he was introduced before the game, the Giants' star received a long standing ovation after his home run, and the game was delayed about 90 seconds.\nNext up is Hank Aaron's record of 755.\n"This took a lot off me. It's good," Bonds said. "A lot of relief. Well, until something else comes up."\nBonds, dogged by allegations of steroid use and repeated taunts on the road, was immediately greeted by his teammates after circling the bases. They surrounded him at the top of the dugout as Bonds tipped his cap and blew a kiss to his wife and two daughters sitting in the first row.\nBonds had gone 29 at-bats without a homer since hitting No. 713 with a 450-foot shot May 7 in Philadelphia. His 16-year-old son, Nikolai, a Giants bat boy, was waiting for him at home plate and they embraced.\n"I like the fact that ball was hit, that ball was crushed," San Francisco manager Felipe Alou said.\nThe Giants plan to commemorate No. 715 in their own ballpark. Major League Baseball has said it won't do anything special to celebrate Bonds moving into second place, and a commissioner's office spokesman said baseball had no comment Saturday.\nBonds had hoped to reach his latest milestone home run at home in San Francisco, where he hit Nos. 500, 600 and 700 along with 660 and 661 to tie and pass his godfather, Willie Mays. In 2001, Bonds hit the final three of his 73 homers at home to break Mark McGwire's single-season record of 70.\n"I'm just glad it happened in the Bay," Bonds said. "East Bay, West Bay. I'm just glad it happened here."\nStill, the slugger had to be happy to hit No. 714 back in the Bay Area in front of his family and friends. Only six days earlier, Bonds suggested he was being haunted by "two ghosts" _ a reference to Ruth and Aaron.\nRuth passed Sam Thompson to move into second place on June 20, 1921, when he hit his 127th home run. Aaron passed Ruth in April 1974 -- and now Hammerin' Hank's mark is the only one left for Bonds to chase.\nYet Bonds has said that could be a long shot considering he turns 42 on July 24, is playing on a surgically repaired right knee and with bone chips floating around in his left elbow.\nThe allegations of cheating have put a cloud over Bonds' rapid rise up the home run chart. He hit his 500th homer on April 17, 2001, on the way to a record 73 that season, and reached 700 on Sept. 17, 2004, a stretch unmatched by any player at the end of his career.\n"He's the greatest hitter I've played against and one of the best of this era," Oakland's Jay Payton said. "It's part of history and it's exciting to be part of that."\nNo matter the controversy, his home fans still adore him, chanting his name when he comes to bat and waving yellow rubber chickens whenever an opposing manager makes the most unpopular choice to intentionally walk him.\nIt is Bonds, after all, who is the biggest reason 3 million fans a year pack the seats at the Giants' sparkling waterfront ballpark, which opened in 2000.
--AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker in New York and AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this story.
