SAN FRANCISCO -- Almost a year to the day of his 700th home run, Barry Bonds smacked the 704th of his career and first of the season Friday night against Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny.

And after having played the first eight innings of the Giants' 5-4 victory, Bonds said he had endured some roaring pain in his thrice surgically repaired right knee to do it.

"I might not play again this weekend," Bonds said. "That's how much pain I'm in right now."

That, of course, remains to be seen as the two teams close out the four-game series with a pair of afternoon tilts Saturday and Sunday. Both are 5 1/2 games behind the first-place, sub-.500 Padres in the National League West with 15 games each to play.

The towering drive soared into the center-field bleachers at SBC Park just to the right of the batting eye more than 400 feet away.

It drew Bonds to within 10 homers of Babe Ruth's total of 714 and 51 of Hank Aaron's 755 on the all-time list. The RBI, also Bonds' first since he returned Monday, was the 1,844th of his career, tying him for ninth on the all-time list compiled by the Elias Sports Bureau with Hall of Fame Boston Red Sox star Carl Yastrzemski. New York Giants Hall of Famer Mel Ott is next at 1,860.

Bonds' 693 homers as an outfielder give him the most in history, passing Ruth in that category. Bonds has hit three as a pinch-hitter and eight as a designated hitter. Aaron hit 660 as an outfielder.

Asked if pulling another notch closer to the Babe's 714 was significant, Bonds told reporters, "I'm not even thinking about that. If I continue to play I'll break it. If I don't, I won't."

Bonds went 1-for-3 in the game, his fourth start since he was activated, and he had three significant milestones: the first-inning homer was on a 1-0 pitch; his first chicken of the season was draped on the right-field wall to signify his initial intentional walk; and, it was his first outing of more than seven innings.

But he evidently paid the price and said he definitely wouldn't play Saturday.

"I don't know right now if I'll even be able to pinch-hit," he said.

By the time he and the Giants got to the seventh inning nursing a 4-2 lead, Bonds literally dragged himself out of the dugout and limped to left field. He then was forced to endure an inning when the Dodgers sent eight men to the plate against Giants relievers Scott Eyre and LaTroy Hawkins to tie the score.

Bonds led off the bottom of the inning and slowly walked to the plate to face Dodgers reliever Yhency Brazoban. The six-pitch at-bat ended on a full count with a harmless foul pop behind the plate that was caught by rookie catcher Dioner Navarro.

Looking every one of his 41 years, Bonds hobbled to the clubhouse to ice a knee that was swollen and probably filled with fluid.

"I'm doing everything I can right now just to get out there and help the team," he said.

Bonds hit his 700th homer this past Sept. 17 into the left-center-field bleachers at SBC Park against Padres right-hander Jake Peavy.

His last homer, No. 703, came this past Sept. 26 against Dodgers right-hander Jeff Weaver in the final home game of the 2004 season. Bonds blew out his right knee that day and went 1-for-13 (.077) with one RBI in the final six games of the season.

Since then, Bonds has had one surgery on his left knee and three on his right, the trio on the latter knee all coming this year during a three-month span from Jan. 31 to May 2.

Bonds had been in rehab in Los Angeles from June 24 until his return to the team last week. In his fifth game back, including one pinch-hit appearance, Bonds has gone 3-for-13 (.231) -- with one double, one single, two runs scored, three walks and three strikeouts.

"That's where I would be after my first five games of Spring Training," Bonds said. "I'm just plodding along, trying to get it back."

Luck hadn't been with him as far as hitting that first home run until Friday night.

In his inaugural game Monday night, he led off the second inning against Padres right-hander Adam Eaton, and on the 11th pitch of the at-bat, he launched a drive toward the left-center-field bleachers that barely missed going out. It would have smacked the top of the 8-foot-high padded fence had a fan not reached out and snared the ball, turning it into a ground-rule double.

On Thursday night in the fourth inning against Dodgers right-hander Derek Lowe, Bonds drove a splash shot into McCovey Cove beyond the 25-foot brick right-field wall and arcade seats. But the high drive twisted foul just outside the pole.

Still, Bonds hit his first homer in his 11th at-bat back, beating his own 20-year ratio of one long ball every 12.94 at-bats.

But by his fourth time to the plate Friday, he had obviously had it.

"My leg gets sore toward the later innings," he said. "That's what I'm going to have to deal with for a little while. I've got all winter to get it back. Right now, I'm just trying to play as long as I can."