SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- He is a lot bigger than he was in 1997, and Eric Gregg wasn't behind the plate, but Livan Hernandez was every bit as effective against the Atlanta Braves as he was five years ago.

Hernandez remained unbeaten in the postseason with 8 1/3 quality innings and Rich Aurilia homered and drove in four runs as the San Francisco Giants forced a decisive Game Five in their National League Division Series with an 8-3 triumph over the Braves.

Hernandez (1-0) ran his career postseason record to 6-0. After holding the Braves hitless through four innings, he yielded three runs and eight hits, walking two and striking out six.

While with the Florida Marlins in 1997, Hernandez was named Most Valuable Player of the NL Championship Series against Atlanta. In that series, he took advantage of a generous strike zone to beat the Braves twice, allowing a run and five hits in 10 2/3 innings.

Five years later, with nowhere near the same fastball, Hernandez made all the key pitches. Staked to an early 8-0 lead, he gave San Francisco innings and never let Atlanta back in the game.

"He knows we needed it and he enhanced his reputation as a big-game pitcher," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "He was sharp, really sharp, and it really helped, the fact that we got some runs early. He was just on his game and you could tell he wanted it."

"When I go out there, I try 100 percent to relax, focus on the game," Hernandez said of his postseason success. "Because the mistakes in these games are more important, the pitches you throw are important."

The Braves were quick to credit to the Cuban righthander.

"He was very similar to 1997 tonight," said Atlanta right fielder Gary Sheffield, who was Hernandez's teammate with the Marlins. "He rises to the occasion when he gets behind in the count and he starts making his pitching count."

"Livan is hard to hit, Braves manager Bobby Cox added. "He's got so many different angles to come at you, he can hit the black from the outside. He's sneaky quick. He's got the slow breaking ball, the quick one and he's a great athlete. He can field his position and do a lot of things. He's a tough guy and he was on tonight."

While Hernandez was adding to his stellar postseason resume, Braves starter Tom Glavine had yet another rough playoff outing. Glavine (0-2), who was pounded in Game One, came back on three days' rest and was hammered again, allowing seven runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.

The veteran lefthander struggled with his control, walking five and allowing a three-run homer to Aurilia in the third. Despite his team's 20-7 record in Division Series play, Glavine is just 3-3 with a 5.15 ERA in nine starts.

"It was a combination of bad pitches and bad luck," Glavine said. "I felt good, but I'm not executing. ... It is tough to argue the results, I just feel badly about (the series) going five."

The teams head back to Atlanta for Game Five on Monday. The Braves will send Game Two winner Kevin Millwood to the mound while the Giants counter with Game One winner Russ Ortiz.

"This is a game we had to win," Giants second baseman Jeff Kent said. "We've got two good teams going at it. We've both been scratching all year and we'll be scratching it out again in Game Five. We're the Giants, and that means something."

San Francisco got to Glavine quickly in the first. Kenny Lofton led off with a single and Aurilia followed with a base hit. After Kent walked on a fll count, Glavine was forced to pitch to Barry Bonds, who laced a sacrifice fly to right-center field.

Benito Santiago followed with an RBI groundout and Glavine escaped the bases-loaded jam by striking out J.T. Snow.

After Hernandez fanned Glavine with the bases loaded to end the second, the Giants tacked on two runs in the bottom half. Aurilia blooped an RBI single to left field and Glavine walked Santiago with the bases loaded.

"Kenny Lofton started off and then here comes Richie and all the other guys after him and we end up scoring two runs and two runs the next inning," Baker said.

Glavine appeared to get it together in the third, retiring two of the first three batters before Lofton beat out an infield hit. Glavine got ahead of Aurilia, 0-2, but grooved a 2-2 pitch that Aurilia drilled to left field for a 7-0 lead.

"I was two in the hole and I was just trying to put the ball in play the rest of that at-bat," Aurilia said. "He threw me a 1-2 curveball and then, I tell you, I don't even know what the pitch was I hit. I don't know if it was a fastball or a changeup, but it was something probably about maybe knee-high and just reached down there and got it."

Cox pulled Glavine following Aurilia's blast, turning the game over to his bullpen.

"I'm not going to take anything away from the Giants, but a large part of the blame is on me," Glavine said. "I just can't make my pitches."

"We didn't want them to have a fresh bullpen if there was a game (Monday)," Baker said. "The thing Livan did as much as anything today (was) not only won the game, but we have a very strong and rested bullpen going into Monday's game."

Atlanta began chipping away with a run in the fifth, but San Francisco countered in the eighth on Santiago's RBI double to left.

The Braves picked up two more runs in the sixth, but Hernandez stiffened, retiring eight of nine batters before allowing a one-out single to Keith Lockhart in the ninth.

"Tonight he did a good job with a lead," said Braves closer John Smoltz, who was a part of that 1997 NLCS. "Having that big a cushion helps. Every time we threatened, he squelched our rallies. He pitched well. His fastball was good tonight."

Scott Eyre followed Hernandez in the ninth and allowed a single before getting an out. Closer Robb Nen retired Julio Franco on a bouncer to shortstop.