Barry Bonds needs extra rest, or he'll keep delivering more tired performances like yesterday, when he went 1 for 2 with a walk against the woeful Brett Tomko, whose main line of attack against Bonds apparently was to induce sheer boredom or perhaps compassion for a panicked pitcher.

No home runs in three plate appearances against Tomko yesterday and three chances against Mark Hendrickson on Wednesday? Geesh.

Yes, Bonds needs some alone time. He used to feed off of his fierce unpopularity, but now he needs unconditional love because unpopularity tires him out.

He needs to find a happy place, far from this draining, straining circle of home run hell.

What Bonds needs is baseball at AT&T Park, and only AT&T Park, until he swats these pesky two milestone home runs to tie and break Hank Aaron's all-time record of 755, and maybe forever after that.

Most immediately, Bonds needs to be held out of the lineup for the next three games in San Diego, starting today, and to keep getting held out of road games until he's through with this.

It doesn't matter if the Giants are coy (knees are sore) or honest (Bonds doesn't homer often at Petco Park — only three in 73 career at-bats) or brazen (it's best if he does it at home) about the explanation.

It only matters that there is only so much Bonds to go around these days, and if he doesn't get some additional rest and zest, I'm afraid we all might get stuck at 754 for the foreseeable future.

It just won't be right if Bonds hits Nos. 755 and 756 on the road — and right now, I also think it's just not possible, either.

"Occasionally, he needs a break," Manager Bruce Bochy said. "Not just one day. A couple days."

Yes, exactly. It cannot be far from Bochy's mind that he sat Bonds for three games a few weeks ago, and the immediate result was a bell-ringing, two-homer performance in Chicago on July 19.

Bonds needs three days off. Those off-days, if possible, should not come in front of his home fans. How about these three — San Diego today, San Diego tomorrow and San Diego Sunday?

Bochy has to give him today off against Greg Maddux, partly because Bonds has started five consecutive games and partly because it sounds like Maddux has no intention of letting Bonds bang one against him even if Bonds had such a feat in him.

"It's easy pitching to Barry, because if it matters, you just walk him," Maddux told reporters. "I mean, it's not that hard to throw four a couple feet outside. He's a good player. He's been the best for me, as far as sitting in the other dugout and watching somebody, for a long time."

Meanwhile, Bochy pointed out (for the zillionth time) that this assault on Mount Aaron is physically and mentally draining for Bonds, who doesn't talk to the media brigade most days but apparently is sapped by the sight of us milling near.

We're getting sapped, too. So, there's no other option for the duration of this quest. No more Bonds road games — lots of rest!

No more Bud Selig deciding if he wants to fly around the country chasing him — hole up at the St. Francis and just keep ordering room service, Bud!

No more wondering if Giants owner Peter Magowan will make it, too — "He'll be here with one more home run," team president Larry Baer said hopefully on Wednesday.

No more spontaneous Bonds news conferences on the road — goodbye media horde!

No more hostile greetings — poof, there goes all that agita about breaking baseball's biggest record in an unruly setting!

The Giants want to assure everyone that, while they'd very much like Bonds to hit the milestone shots at home, they're not about to manipulate their lineup just to make it happen that way.

It's true, the Giants are 40-42 this season when Bonds is in the lineup, and only 7-17 when he's out.

However, they're also 22-32 overall on the road this season, with or without Bonds.

There are pennant-race questions and integrity questions and all sorts of questions involved, the Giants say, since Bonds is still their best hitter.

The history: When Henry Aaron was going after Babe Ruth's record, the Braves tried sitting him extra on the road to ensure more home shots at the record, and were ordered to get him back into the lineup.

But I doubt the commissioner would make that order this time around. I think he'd do just about anything to get Bonds refreshed and out of his hair.