What a start this has been for Bonds. He hit his 500th career homer on April 17 and already has climbed up to 517. He's 13th on the all-time list but needs only 18 more to knock Jimmie Foxx out of the top 10. He's only five away from passing Ted Williams and Willie McCovey, who are tied for 11th at 521. Bonds' slugging percentage is .902; McGwire's was .752 in 1998, when he hit his 70 homers. No one's ever had a higher slugging percentage for a season than Babe Ruth's .847 in 1920. The National League record is .756, set by Rogers Hornsby in 1925.

"There are some things I can't understand right now," Bonds said. "The balls I used to line off the wall are lining out [of the park]. I can't tell you why. Call God. Ask him. It's like, wow. I can't understand it, either. I try to figure it out, and I can't figure it out. So I stopped trying."

Bonds is on pace to hit 85 homers but doesn't want to hear about McGwire's record. "To talk about it on May 21 is ridiculous," he said. "I could be hit by a truck tomorrow, then what? 'He was on his way, but, damn, he got hit by a truck.' "

Good to see the man's in a good mood. Maybe that's because he'll get to negotiate a new contract after the season. If a truck does hit him, it'll probably be a Brinks.

Series to watch
Red Sox at Yankees, Tuesday through Thursday
Neither of these rivals has been doing much lately but individuals will make this a memorable series. David Cone, who was the soul of the pitching staff that carried the Yankees to four World Series victories, faces his old team on Wednesday. Pedro Martinez follows him in the Red Sox rotation for a Thursday matinee at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have the better of the early matchups, with Andy Pettitte facing Tim Wakefield Tuesday and Mike Mussina going against Cone Wednesday. Rookie Ted Lilly looks like a sacrificial lamb on Thursday when he faces Martinez.

The Yankees are returning home after a 2-4 trip to Oakland and Seattle. They were only two games over .500 in April and so far are two over .500 in May (10-8). The Red Sox have a .500 record in May (9-9), including a 3-3 trip to Minnesota and Kansas City last week.

These teams have already split six games this year and will play five times in the next eight days, including a two-game series next week in Boston. Cone and Martinez are likely to get starts for the Red Sox at Fenway.

New face: Braves RHP Jason Marquis
So who would you rather face -- Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez or Jason Marquis? If you're looking for a hit, the answer is anybody but Marquis.

Both Johnson and Martinez are allowing opponents to hit .189 against them this year. Hitters have gone only 11-for-70 off Marquis, a .157 average.

Unable to crack Atlanta's starting rotation, the 22-year-old right-hander is making the most of a chance to work as a set-up man. He throws in the mid-90s with a good curveball and changeup.

Marquis got one start when Kevin Millwood went on the DL. He responded with six shutout innings against Los Angeles on May 12 but yielded the position to John Smoltz the next time around the rotation.

Team to watch: Athletics
There might just be life after a 2-10 start for the defending AL West champions. Oakland had won 10 of its last 12 games entering a six-game trip to Kansas City and Minnesota, including six in a row. The A's swept a three-game series against the Yankees last week, winning one game in 12 innings and another in 10.

Most of the improvement can be attributed to pitching (the staff ERA was 5.38 in April, 3.75 so far this month), but by any barometer they've been a much improved team. Oakland averaged 4.5 runs per game in April and 5.4 per game thus far in May but still hasn't broken loose with the lumber.

Johnny Damon (.267 on-base percentage, 25 runs scored) returns to Kauffman Stadium in search of his mojo. Art Howe knows he also needs more production from his catchers and his DH spot. He hopes recent roster moves -- the addition of Tom Wilson for Sal Fasano as the backup catcher to Ramon Hernandez and the promotions of Robin Jennings and Eric Byrnes to help fill the DH void -- are steps in the right direction.

Don't overlook the role that hard-nosed second baseman Frank Menechino has played in the recent resurgence. The A's were 3-10 when rookie Jose Ortiz went on the DL with a strained left calf. They've played winning baseball with Menechino. Howe gave Menechino a vote of confidence on Sunday, sending Ortiz to Triple-A.

Oakland's recent run carried the A's from last to second in the West. The A's gained only one game on Seattle, however, remaining double digits in arrears. But if you're Billy Beane, it's not too early to think about the wild card.

The A's were tied for fourth in those standings through Monday, eight games behind Cleveland. They are logically looking at teams like Minnesota, Boston and Toronto as the competition in a race that could keep them from holding a fire sale in July.

Careless whispers
No, Mitch Williams isn't attempting a comeback. The goat of the 1993 World Series was activated as a player-pitching coach for the Atlantic City Surf in the Atlantic League last weekend. In his first appearance, Williams was used as a pinch hitter, not a pitcher. He was sent to the plate to bunt and wound up drawing a walk on Sunday against Nashua. Manager Tommy Helms says he could use Williams in the outfield or in more bunting situations but Williams isn't likely to pitch. ... There's no guarantee Vinny Castilla is going the distance as Houston's third baseman. He's 3-for-18 since a three-hit debut with the Astros. In the meantime, Chris Truby is hitting .588 with two homers and 10 RBI in four games at Triple-A New Orleans. That's 32 RBI in 38 games overall for Truby this year. But if the Astros decide to discard Castilla, they might turn to Morgan Ensberg (.299-12-31 in 40 games at New Orleans) instead of giving Truby another chance. ... After already releasing third baseman Castilla and second baseman Bobby Smith, the Devil Rays are taking a hard look at shortstop Felix Martinez. Andy Sheets took over the position after Martinez made 12 errors in 38 games. ... The Royals are without a left-handed reliever since demoting Tony Cogan all the way to Double-A. Tony Muser might have worn out the rookie by using him 11 times in the first 16 games. ... Left-hander Ken Vining becomes the fifth player from the White Flag trade to reach the major leagues with the White Sox. Former GM Ron Schueler also acquired Keith Foulke, Bob Howry, Lorenzo Barcelo and since-released shortstop Mike Caruso in that July deal with San Francisco. Vining would have joined the cast sooner but was sidelined by Tommy John surgery. ... Rangers owner Tom Hicks wouldn't have had to defuse speculation about Pudge Rodriguez trades if he hadn't stirred the pot in the first place. The biggest loser in the ongoing mess in Texas is interim manager Jerry Narron, who would have to be Houdini to get this team over .500. That is probably what it will take for GM Doug Melvin to keep Hicks from pursuing a name manager next winter.

Phil Rogers is the national baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune, which has a web site at www.chicagosports.com.