The San Francisco slugger was held out of the Giants' starting lineup today. Bonds has 753 home runs, two from tying Hank Aaron's record, and the Giants would love for him to make history at home. The celebratory banners are rolled up and ready to be unfurled

"He's just getting a day. Pretty simple," manager Bruce Bochy said before the Giants played the third game of a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves. "I don't want to get to the point where he's going to need two or three days like what happened there in Chicago. Long game yesterday. I said `I'm going to give him a break today."'

Bochy said there was "a good chance" Bonds would be back in the lineup for tomorrow afternoon's series finale. It was a cool, windy summer night today and Bonds has said he often has a tough time getting loose when it's chilly.

Bonds turned 43 Tuesday night, when the Giants lost 7-5 in 13 innings. Bonds went 1-for-5 with two called strikeouts, and Bud Selig was there to see it. The commissioner, a close friend of Aaron, said he would try to be in attendance when the record falls.

Bonds is 2-for-14 since hitting home runs No. 752 and 753 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field last Thursday, raising his season total to 19. That was after he didn't start the first three games of the series to rest his sore legs. Since hitting a single at Cincinnati on July 5, he is 5-for-38 (.132).

Bonds has been swinging aggressively and also taking his share of strikes — be he also drew his 100th walk last night. Bonds made a great sliding catch in left field on Brian McCann's sinking liner leading off the 10th inning and was sore when the game ended.

"I could see it," Bochy said. "Last time we had an extra-inning game, he ended up needing three days. I'm tying to keep him on the field as much as I can. ... I think he's taking some good swings. He's hit some balls hard. They're not getting up in the air a lot of them. He's hitting bullets right at the second baseman. They're pitching him tough. We've seen two good pitchers here, (John) Smoltz and (Tim) Hudson. A lot of guys don't do too much off of them."

The Giants play three games at Dodger Stadium starting Tuesday, then three against the San Diego Padres before returning home Aug. 6 for four games against the Washington Nationals and three with the Pittsburgh Pirates.