SAN FRANCISCO -- The Bay Area baseball outlook hadn't been so gloomy since the Crazy Crab mascot roamed Candlestick Park.

Despite winning 103 games in the regular season -- including an American League record 20 in a row -- the Oakland Athletics trailed all Sunday afternoon in the East Bay, eventually losing 5-4 to the Minnesota Twins when they were so frazzled that they nearly batted out of order. Just Oakland lost, over in San Francisco, the Giants were just about to take the field for Game 4 against Atlanta, barely a day after losing Game 3 by a stadium-silencing margin of 10-2. Atlanta started former Cy Young winner and 18-game winner Tom Glavine in what could possibly be the Bay Area's final baseball game of the season. The Giants countered with Livan Hernandez, who somehow lost more games than any pitcher in the league despite pitching for a team that won 95.

	Mr. October
	Livan Hernandez's game-by-game career record in the postseason:
	Date	Opp.	IP	H	R	Dec.
	10/1/97	S.F.	4*	3	1	ND
	10/10/97	Atl.	1.2*	2	0	W
	10/12/97	Atl.	9	3	1	W
	10/18/97	Cle.	5.2	8	3	W
	10/23/97	Cle.	8	7	6	W
	10/4/00	NYM	7.2	5	1	W
	10/6/02	Atl.	8.1	8	3	W
	* Pitched in relief

And as if that wasn't disheartening enough: Next up on the docket was Monday's opening testimony in the Barry Bonds' 73 home run baseball trial.

In other words, Hernandez had quite a bit riding on his shoulders when he took the mound late Sunday afternoon. Which is just the way he likes it. As he said before his start, "This is the time to show people how good you are.''

So that is what he did. With winter looking over his shoulder, Hernandez took the ball and gave his team another day of summer.

He didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning, held Atlanta to three runs in 8 1/3 innings, left the field to a ballpark-shaking ovation that needed to be measured on the Richter scale and kept the Giants alive with an 8-3 victory. The win left Hernandez with a 6-0 career record and a 2.84 ERA in the postseason. He and his half-brother, Orlando, are a combined 15-3 in the postseason.

"I don't know how to explain it,'' Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "You can just tell in his eyes that he was ready from the first pitch. He's ready all the time, but sometimes, you could tell he's got that really focused look.''

It was the first time the Giants have won an elimination game in the postseason since Game 6 of the 1962 World Series, so you know this was a big deal. The Giants traveled back to Atlanta for Monday night's series-finale, looking to win their first postseason series since beating the Cubs in the 1989 playoffs.

Too bad there isn't another Hernandez brother out there.

Hernandez lost 16 games during the regular season but he was confident coming into Game 4, telling reporters, "I never lose in October.''

His 6-0 record includes a memorable game against Atlanta in the 1997 playoffs when he struck out 15 batters, which prompted Braves manager Bobby Cox to complain about homeplate umpire Eric Gregg's generous strike zone that day. Cox was more magnanimous Sunday, saying Hernandez didn't get a break from the umpire the entire game. He didn't need many. Hernandez struck out six Sunday, throwing pitches Atlanta outfielder and former teammate Gary Sheffield said he had never seen him throw before. "He was throwing eephus curveballs and eephus sliders, then he'd throw a fastball, so it looked a lost faster than it was.''

Given an early 7-0 lead, Hernandez wasn't really in trouble until the fifth inning when Atlanta got its first hit against him, scored a run and loaded the bases. But the pitcher helped himself out with a 3-6-1 doubleplay that displayed his fielding skill and struck out Julio Franco to end the inning.

Hernandez left reluctantly in the ninth after allowing a one-out single. He wanted the complete game so much that he still was lobbying to stay in the game during the postgame interview. "I wanted to complete my game,'' he said. "I know my body.''

"You can't overlook what he's done in the past,'' San Francisco first baseman J.T. Snow said. "He's taken his lumps this year from people but when it counted most, he was there. You know he's not going to get rattled. You'll know that he'll enjoy being in a big game.

"I think players who are relaxed and know how to enjoy the postseason have the most success. It's the guys who get a little over-pumped who have trouble.''

Speaking of Barry Bonds, the Giants left-fielder went 0-for-3 with a walk and a sacrifice fly that gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead in the first. After scoring four runs in the first two innings off starter Tom Glavine, the Giants broke open the game when shortstop Rich Aurilia hit a three-run homer in the third. Pitching perhaps his final game for Atlanta -- he's eligible for free agency -- Glavine allowed seven runs on seven hits. For the series, he's 0-2 with a 15.26 ERA.

So now the series returns to Atlanta for Monday's finale. Atlanta starts Kevin Millwood, who silenced the Giants in Game 2, on short rest while San Francisco counters with Game 1 winner Russ Ortiz, who is fully rested. Or as fully rested as a person can be after a cross-country red-eye flight. Both teams' planes weren't scheduled to arrive until early Monday morning.

Given his performance Sunday, of course, Hernandez may not land until much later.

Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com.