SAN FRANCISCO -- So much was missing from the Giants' scene during a 5-3 win over the Rockies on Wednesday night, on the field and off, that it seemed they had too much to overcome.

The Giants missed their offense for most of the evening against Rockies starter Jeff Francis, who limited them to four hits through seven innings.

They missed shortstop Omar Vizquel, who was rested by manager Bruce Bochy. Rich Aurilia replaced Vizquel and committed an eighth-inning throwing error that gave Colorado a run and broke a 2-2 tie.

They missed closer Armando Benitez, who was deemed unavailable for the game with a sore right knee.

They even missed many of their fans. The paid crowd of 32,557 was the lowest at AT&T Park since it opened in 2000.

But as the baseball world knows, Barry Bonds can offset any number of shortcomings or setbacks. The left fielder did so again, driving in four runs with his 743rd career home run and a two-run, eighth-inning single that helped lift the Giants to victory.

Bonds' single accelerated a three-run uprising that gave the Giants (14-12) their 10th victory in 14 games.

"They came back on us a couple of times," first baseman Ryan Klesko said, referring primarily to a bitter 5-3 defeat in Denver on April 17. "We kind of owed them."

Given Francis' control over the Giants, they seemed unlikely to deliver what the late James Brown would call "payback." Except for the fourth inning, when Bonds lined his homer onto the right-field arcade to pull 12 behind all-time leader Henry Aaron, San Francisco moved only two runners into scoring position until the eighth.

Then Klesko defied his lefty-vs.-lefty disadvantage by grounding a leadoff single up the middle. One out later, Randy Winn blooped a single to left field for his third hit of the game, finishing Francis (1-4).

In came Manny Corpas and his gaudy 1.23 ERA. But Corpas fell behind Aurilia, 3-0, and ultimately walked him on a 3-2 pitch.

"That was the difference right there," Giants starter Barry Zito said.

Batting with the bases loaded for the first time this season, Bonds grounded a 1-0 pitch through the shifted infield into right, scoring Klesko and Winn. With two outs, Bengie Molina poked another RBI single into right.

This rally demonstrated the Giants' savvy, embodied in veterans such as Klesko, Aurilia and Molina. "We've got a lot of professional hitters on the team -- guys who give you good at-bats, put the ball in play, work the counts," Klesko said.

The leader was Bonds, who tied Stan Musial for fourth on the career RBI list with 1,951. The Giants relished the sight of their cleanup hitter facing Corpas with the bags full.

"Oh man, that's a situation you hope for, because they have to pitch to him. Then again, I've seen them walk Bonds with the bases loaded," Klesko said. "It was nice for us to get some men on base for him to actually get a chance to hit with men in scoring position. Most of the time they're walking him, especially when he's swinging good."

The Giants activated their offense too late to give Zito the decision, although he recorded his fourth consecutive quality start by surrendering two runs and four hits in seven innings. The left-hander looked especially resolute in his final inning, when he walked Chris Iannetta leading off -- the same lapse that began Colorado's two-run fifth -- and fell behind, 3-0, on the next batter, Jamey Carroll. Zito recovered to retire Carroll on a popout before completing a scoreless seventh, despite entering the inning with 106 pitches thrown.

"The fact that Boch let me go back out and the fact that he stuck with me even after another leadoff walk and going 3-0 to Carroll, that was awesome," Zito said. "That was the first thing I told him when I came back in -- 'I just appreciate the faith you had in me.'"

The Giants also demonstrated faith in Brad Hennessey (1-1), who recorded the final four outs in Benitez's absence. Benitez said his right knee started bothering him Tuesday, but he anticipated being fit to pitch Thursday.

"I'll be fine," Benitez said. "I'm all right. Don't worry about it."

Although Hennessey was in line for the victory as he opened the ninth, the atmosphere seemed more akin to a save situation.

"It would have been nice to get credit for both," Hennessey jokingly said. "I'll take one of them."