Bonds NL Player of the Month

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds is the National League Player of the Month for July.

Bonds hit a league-leading .415 with 11 home runs and 21 RBI in 23 games. He also walked 26 times and scored 25 runs.

Bonds tied a major league record when he reached 30 home runs on July 12 for the 12th consecutive year, matching the mark set by Jimmie Foxx from 1929-40. He leads the majors with 34 homers, four more than AlbertPujols of St. Louis, along with a .727 slugging percentage.

A five-time Most Valuable Player, Bonds is running neck-and-neck with Pujols for the award this season. Pujols captured monthly honors in May and June.