By The Associated Press

HOUSTON - Say hey, Willie. Barry is about to catch you.

Barry Bonds hit his 659th home run Monday night, moving within one of Willie Mays for third place on the career list and helping the San Francisco Giants rally for a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

With "The Say Hey Kid" in attendance, Bonds lined a first-pitch fastball from Roy Oswalt over the right-field fence in the eighth inning for a three-run shot that tied it at 4.

San Francisco completed the comeback in the ninth against loser Octavio Dotel, now the Astros' closer after the offseason trade of Billy Wagner to the Phillies. J.T. Snow's sacrifice fly knocked in the go-ahead run.

It was Bonds' sixth opening day homer, and it came in the same building where he tied Mark McGwire's single-season mark of 70 in 2001. Bonds went on to set his own standard at 73.

Only Ken Griffey Jr., with seven, has more opening day homers among active players.

Once Bonds, 39, passes Mays, his godfather, only Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (755) will lie ahead on the hallowed homer list.

Bonds, whose father, Bobby, died last year, had Mays with him throughout spring training for moral support. When Bonds hits No. 661, Mays will present his godson with the diamond-augmented Olympic torch he carried for the 2002 Olympics.

Felix Rodriguez earned the win with a scoreless eighth, and Matt Herges pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Brewers 8, Cardinals 6

ST. LOUIS - Scott Podsednik drove in four runs and Milwaukee opened the season by beating St. Louis, with President Bush watching from a box above home plate.

It's the first time the Brewers have been over .500 in two years. They haven't finished with a winning record since 1992.

Ben Grieve hit a two-run homer and Podsednik had a tiebreaking, three-run shot off Matt Morris in the sixth inning for the Brewers, who began last season with six straight losses and never recovered in a 68-94 season.

This year, the second under manager Ned Yost, they're aiming for .500 despite a $28 million payroll that's the lowest in the major leagues.

Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch, an inside strike, to Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny. Then Bush watched the first five innings from a private box.

Dave Burba earned the win with 1 2-3 hitless innings, and Dan Kolb worked the ninth for the save.

Pirates 2, Phillies 1

PITTSBURGH - Even if he lasted only six innings, Kip Wells showed the Pittsburgh Pirates what a No. 1 starter is supposed to look like on opening day.

Wells often was overpowering in working out of two big jams and outdueling Kevin Millwood, and the Pirates rode Craig Wilson's homer and Tike Redman's tiebreaking double to a victory over Philadelphia.

Jose Mesa pitched the ninth for the save against his former club.

Millwood threw six solid innings but took the loss.

Padres 8, Dodgers 2

LOS ANGELES - The Frank McCourt era in Los Angeles got off to a bad start.

Brian Lawrence allowed one run in five innings, and Phil Nevin hit a grand slam as revamped San Diego opened the season by beating the Dodgers.

McCourt, a Boston real estate developer, purchased the Dodgers from News Corp. during the offseason for $430 million.

A sellout crowd of 53,850 - the largest opening-day attendance in Dodger Stadium history - booed the home team on several occasions, most vocally after the Padres broke the game open against loser Hideo Nomo by scoring six runs in the fifth.

The Dodgers left 15 runners on base and hit into three double plays.