This Date in Sports: Barry Bonds passes Babe Ruth on HR list

Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list on this date in 2006 when he drove No. 715 more than 440 feet over the fence at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

The Giants’ slugger’s blast was off Colorado’s Byung-Hyun Kim and it put Bonds at No. 2 behind Henry Aaron’s record of 755.

Although Bonds’ reputation had been tarnished by allegations of steroid use, Kim offered his congratulations after the game. “Steroids, no steroids, who knows who’s taking them,” Kim said. “They don’t hit home runs. He’s a good hitter.”

The Dodgers were set on Thursday to wrap up a four-game series in Colorado with a day game against the Rockies at Coors Field. The game was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:

1946 — The Washington Senators beat the New York Yankees 2-1 in the first night game at Yankee Stadium. Dutch Leonard scatters six hits in pitching a complete game for the Senators.

1956 — Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a home run in his eighth consecutive game to set a major league record. Long connects off Carl Erskine of the Dodgers at Forbes Field. Long’s solo shot comes in the fourth inning. Later, Don Mattingly in 1987 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 1993 would match Long’s accomplishment.

1978 — Al Unser wins his third Indianapolis 500, the fifth driver to do so, edging Tom Sneva by 8.19 seconds. Unser, who won in 1970 and 1971, drives a Lola-Cosworth for owner Jim Hall, who wins his first 500. Unser’s older brother Bobby is sixth and Janet Guthrie, driving with a broken wrist, finishes in eighth place.

1995 — Jacques Villeneuve overcomes one penalty and wins by another in the Indianapolis 500. Villeneuve drives to victory after fellow Canadian Scott Goodyear receives a black flag with seven laps to go for passing the pace car on the final restart. Villeneuve is stripped of the lead for the same infraction earlier in the race.

2000 — Dutch swimming star Inge de Bruijn sets her third world record in three days, adding the 100 freestyle mark to the 50 and 100 butterfly records she set previously at a meet at Sheffield, England. De Bruijn is the first swimmer to finish under 54.00 seconds in the 100 freestyle at 53.80.

2007 — Duke has a courageous comeback fall short in a 12-11 loss to Johns Hopkins in the NCAA lacrosse championship match at Baltimore. The Blue Devils, who never finished the 2006 season because of sexual assault allegations against three of their players, make it all the way back to the title game. Kevin Huntley’s goal with 3:25 left wins it for the Blue Jays.

2011 — Novak Djokovic extends his perfect start to the season at the French Open, beating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 for his 40th straight win this year. Djokovic’s 40-0 start is the second-best opening streak in the Open era, which started in 1968.

2016 — Klay Thompson makes a playoff-record 11 three-point shots and scores 41 points, and the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors force a Game 7 in the Western Conference finals with a 108-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stephen Curry adds 31 points for the Warriors

2017 — Angelique Kerber of Germany is the first women’s No. 1 seed to be eliminated in the French Open’s first round in the Open era. Kerber loses 6-2, 6-2 to 40th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia. Makarova breaks Kerber’s serve twice in both sets.

Sources: The Times, Associated Press