PHOENIX – Barry Bonds homered off Randy Johnson in his return to the San Francisco lineup, leading Jerome Williams and the Giants past the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 Saturday.

Bonds, who missed six games following his father’s death last week, reached on an infield single in the first, then hit a 403-foot homer into the right-field stands leading off the fourth.

Bobby Bonds died Aug. 23 at age 57 after being ill for nearly a year with lung cancer and a brain tumor.

After crossing home plate, Bonds looked up toward the closed roof at Bank One Ballpark for a few moments longer than usual. Minutes later, as he left the Giants’ first-base dugout to jog to left field, Bonds briefly pulled his cap low on his forehead and wiped his eyes.

Bonds, resting on one knee in the on-deck circle when the top of the eighth ended, came out of the game in the bottom half. He left the Giants’ dugout shortly thereafter.

Bonds’ home run was his major league-leading 40th of the season and the 653rd of his career. He moved within seven homers of his godfather, Willie Mays, for third place on the all-time list.

Bonds has seven 40-homer seasons, one short of Hank Aaron’s NL mark and four behind Babe Ruth’s major league mark.

Brewers 9, Cubs 5

CHICAGO – Richie Sexson homered and drove in four runs, Scott Podsednik stole home and Matt Kinney won his third straight start as the Milwaukee Brewers got back to their winning ways by beating the Chicago Cubs 9-5.

The Brewers had a 10-game winning streak – the second-longest in franchise history – snapped Friday. But they wasted little time starting another one, tagging Cubs starter Shawn Estes (7-11) for five runs in the first two innings.

Kinney (10-9) allowed four earned runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings, striking out three and walking four. The Brewers have won 12 of their last 14 games.

Braves 13, Pirates 6

PITTSBURGH – Rookie Mike Hessman hit a two-run homer in only his second start for Atlanta, keying a seven-run third inning that ruined Oliver Perez’s debut with Pittsburgh and led the Braves to a 13-6 victory.

Javy Lopez and Mark DeRosa had two-run doubles off Perez, who retired only one of the seven batters he faced in the third. He left after allowing six runs and four hits in 2 2-3 innings.

Horacio Ramirez (9-4) withstood Craig Wilson’s three-run homer in the fourth to last seven innings and win for the first time in eight starts since July 7. In his first career start against Pittsburgh, he won despite giving up 10 hits and five runs while allowing multiple baserunners in all but two innings.

Marlins 4, Expos 3

MIAMI – Carl Pavano pitched eight-plus solid innings, and Juan Encarnacion drove in four runs as the Florida Marlins held on and beat Livan Hernandez and the Montreal Expos 4-3.

Pavano (11-11) allowed four hits before Vladimir Guerrero led off the ninth with a solo homer to left field, and Wil Cordero’s single.

Braden Looper gave up a two-run double to Brian Schneider with one out before getting the final two outs – with runners on second and third – for his 25th save in 29 chances.

Astros 11, Padres 6

HOUSTON – Lance Berkman and Morgan Ensberg homered, and Jared Fernandez pitched six solid innings in the Houston Astros’ 11-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.

Fernandez (2-3) allowed one run and five hits as he snapped a personal three-game losing streak. The knuckleballer struck out two and walked only one.

The Astros used four pitchers in the Padres’ five-run seventh inning but held on and maintained a first-place tie with St. Louis in the NL Central.

Cardinals 6, Reds 3

CINCINNATI – Jim Edmonds drove in four runs with a homer and a double and made another sensational catch atop the centerfield wall, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 6-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

The Cardinals’ first victory in six games at Great American Ball Park kept them in first place in the NL Central. They started the day tied with Houston.

St. Louis also got back its leadoff hitter. Fernando Vina was activated off the disabled list and singled in four at-bats. Vina had been out since he tore a tendon connected to his right hamstring on May 25, requiring surgery.

Phillies 4, Mets 2

NEW YORK – Randy Wolf, coming off the worst start of his career, handcuffed the New York Mets for seven innings and pitched the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-2 victory.

The win kept the Phillies tied with Florida in the NL wild-card race.

The Marlins held off a ninth-inning Montreal rally and defeated the Expos 4-3.

Wolf (13-8) allowed nine earned runs in less than two innings in his last start at Montreal on Aug. 25, part of a stretch of nine Philadelphia losses in 10 games.

He was much sharper against the Mets, allowing two runs and six hits, striking out six and walking one.

The Phillies bunched four singles against Tom Glavine (9-12) to break a 2-2 tie in the seventh. Wolf (13-8) was much sharper, allowing two runs and six hits, striking out six and walking one.

Marlon Byrd started the rally with a hit and raced to third on a hit-and-run single by Placido Polanco. Then RBI hits by Mike Lieberthal and Jason Michaels finished Glavine, who allowed 11 hits.