BONDS ties record with 37th homer before All-Star break

<br>SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Barry Bonds hit his 37th home run Tuesday night, a shot that the umpires didn't immediately acknowledge, to tie the record for most homers before the All-Star break. <br><br>Bonds'

Wednesday, June 20th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SAN DIEGO (AP) _ Barry Bonds hit his 37th home run Tuesday night, a shot that the umpires didn't immediately acknowledge, to tie the record for most homers before the All-Star break.

Bonds' shot on a 2-1 pitch from Adam Eaton in the fifth inning matched the mark for homers before the All-Star break set by Reggie Jackson in 1969 and tied by Mark McGwire in 1998.

Bonds hit a high, arcing shot to right-center field that hit off the front of an advertising sign that hangs just above and a little behind of the fence, and bounced back onto the field.

Bonds pointed to the sign and motioned with his hand that it should be a home run as he pulled into second base.

After the umpires huddled for a moment near second base, second base ump Paul Emmell motioned that it was a homer. TV replays showed the ball bouncing off the sign.

Bonds, who didn't homer in his previous two games, remains on the quickest home run pace in history, hitting his 37th in 70 games. McGwire hit 37 in 81 games in '98, the year he set the single-season record with 70.

Bonds has homered nine times in 17 games. On Friday night, he homered twice to pass the halfway mark in his bid to break McGwire's record.

It was his 58th homer against the Padres, the most he's had against any team. It was his 29th at Qualcomm Stadium, the most by a visiting player.