To: Cactus Jack who wrote (49402 ) 4/3/2002 10:35:24 AM From: stockman_scott Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 65232 Bonds Homers Twice in Giants Opener The Associated Press Apr 3 2002 6:46AM Barry Bonds got right into the swing and Curt Schilling took aim at another ring. And for early excitement, how about those Montreal Expos? Coming off his record 73 home runs, Bonds connected twice Tuesday as the San Francisco Giants opened with a 9-2 win at Dodger Stadium. ``Fortunately for us, it looks like he picked up where he left off,'' Giants teammate Rich Aurilia said. ``What's he on pace for, 324 homers?'' Said Bonds: ``It's not how you start, it's how you finish. ``We want to be in the race until it's over. It's early. One game doesn't make a season,'' he said. Schilling also got off to a nice start. After the Arizona Diamondbacks picked up their World Series rings, Schilling pitched seven strong innings in a 9-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. A day earlier, Randy Johnson - who shared the Series MVP award with Schilling - shut out San Diego. ``Two days into the season we're 2-0,'' Schilling said. ``Last night it was RJ and tonight was the offense and for the most part defense.'' The Expos and their fans had a reason to cheer, too. Opening what could be their final season in Montreal, the Expos rallied for three runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Florida Marlins 7-6. New manager Frank Robinson wildly waved his hat to the crowd of 34,351 at Olympic Stadium after Orlando Cabrera's single won it. ``Who said there's not baseball fans in Montreal?'' Robinson said. ``They were great out there tonight - very enthusiastic. They got us going. They got us pumped up. They certainly got me pumped up and they got the players pumped up - and this is what we need.'' If any of this seemed familiar, there's a reason. Last year, Bonds homered on opening day, Schilling breezed in his first start and the Expos started the season with a win. In the other NL game, Milwaukee beat Houston 9-3. Giants 9, Dodgers 2 San Francisco once again got all it needed from Bonds, who drove in five runs to beat Los Angeles. On his second swing of the season, Bonds hit a three-run homer off Kevin Brown. Bonds added an RBI single off Brown in the fourth and homered just inside the right-field foul pole in the seventh off Omar Daal. Bonds has 569 lifetime home runs, four behind Harmon Killebrew for sixth place on baseball's career list.