Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Barry Bonds hopes to win a postseason series for the first time in his career this evening, when the San Francisco Giants tangle with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Game 5 of a National League Division Series.

Bonds, who is batting .214 (3-for-14) with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored in this best-of-five series, is 0-5 lifetime in the playoffs. His manager, Dusty Baker, is also searching for his first postseason series win in three attempts.

Down two-games-to-one, the Giants forced a fifth and deciding game, as well as a cross-country trip for both teams, with an 8-3 victory at Pacific Bell Park on Sunday. Rich Aurilia belted a three-run homer and Livan Hernandez tossed 8 1/3 innings for San Francisco, which is attempting to win its first postseason series since taking the 1989 National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs,

This Game 5 will be just the second in National League Division Series history since the expanded playoff system debuted in 1995. The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in five games last season.

Aurilia finished 3-for-5 with four RBI, while Benito Santiago drove in three runs, in the winning effort.

Hernandez surrendered three runs on eight hits, while whiffing six and walking two. The Cuban righthander improved to 6-0 lifetime in the postseason.

"Hey, that's Livan. He's a competitor. He's one of the best competitors I've been around," gushed Baker.

Vinny Castilla was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Braves, who are trying to advance to the NLCS for the 12th time in franchise history and the second year in a row. They lost in five games to Arizona last season.

Tom Glavine, pitching on three days' rest, was knocked around in the loss. The veteran southpaw was touched for seven runs on seven hits in just 2 2/3 frames of work. Glavine, who suffered the loss in Game 1 of this series, walked five and struck out one as his earned run average ballooned to 15.26.

"He threw harder tonight than he has all year," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Glavine's performance. "He's throwing a little bit too strong -- I don't know if he didn't have the confidence in the changeup tonight, or just didn't want to throw it because the fastball was so quick. He just kept missing by a couple of inches, and all of his pitches inside and outside, just off the plate."

Kevin Millwood gets the call this evening for the Braves, who have lost just one NLDS in seven tries. Millwood was the Braves' best pitcher in the second half of the season, going 12-3 with a 2.65 earned run average and one complete game in 16 tries.

The righthander, who will be pitching this evening on three days' rest, toed the slate in Game of this series and earned the win with six innings of three- hit, two-run ball. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter, while giving up solo home runs to Aurilia and J.T. Snow.

Since the start of the 1999 postseason, hurlers working on short rest are only 2-12, including 1-3 this season. The Angels' Jarrod Washburn has the lone win this year, while Glavine, Oakland's Mark Mulder and the Athletics' Tim Hudson have each suffered a loss on three days' rest.

Lifetime, Millwood is 4-2 versus San Francisco, including the win in Game 2. The 27-year-old hurler battled the Giants once during the season, on May 13 at Pac Bell Park, and did not factor into the decision after permitting four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 frames.

For his career, the former 11th-round pick is 3-2 in the postseason. Millwood is 2-1 lifetime in Division Series action with a 3.05 earned run average.

Russ Ortiz counters for the NL wild card winners. Ortiz defeated Glavine in the opener of this series, allowing two runs on five hits in seven frames as San Francisco posted an 8-5 victory. He walked four and whiffed three.

Including the regular season, the victory was the righthander's seventh in as many tries. During that time, he has surrendered a total of 13 runs on 41 hits in 49 1/3 innings. Ortiz, who has not lost since August 23 versus the Montreal Expos, pitched well on the road this year, compiling a 9-6 record with a pair of complete games and a 3.77 ERA in 18 attempts.

For his career, the 28-year-old hurler is 4-4 versus Atlanta, including the win in Game 2. He battled the Braves once during the regular season and earned the win after giving up two runs on five hits over seven frames.

This will be Ortiz' third career postseason start. In 2000, he battled the Mets in the NLDS and did not factor into the decision after permitting one run on two hits in 5 1/3 innings.

These two teams split six regular-season meetings, with each winning once in Atlanta. San Francisco went 45-35 on the road in 2002, while the Braves were 52-28 at Turner Field.

The winner of this evening's game will meet the Cardinals in the NLCS. If Atlanta wins, it will have home-field advantage. If San Francisco wins, the Cardinals will garner the home field.