3      1   Final

Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E  Giants 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 6 2  Braves 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 7 0

Mark DeRosa drove in the Braves' only run with a single to center in the sixth inning. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

Unfortunately for Millwood, his offense didn't come through with enough timely hits and the opposition possessed an immortal man named Barry Bonds.

Bonds' two hits off the Braves starting right-hander provided the Giants all the offense they needed to claim a 3-1 win in Game 5 of the Division Series at Turner Field on Monday night. "We went down fighting," said John Smoltz, who pitched two scoreless innings to give his team the chance to mount a ninth-inning comeback. "We had our opportunities and we did everything but win the game."

Giants closer Robb Nen, who entered the ninth holding a 3-1 lead, watched a Jeff Kent throwing error allow Rafael Furcal to reach safely to open the inning. A Julio Franco single to right gave 45,203 tomahawk-chopping fans reason to believe a comeback reminiscent of the 1992 NLCS in which Bonds played a big part was on the horizon.

"That had the makings of an incredible win," Smoltz said.

But instead of seeing Bonds throw arrive late in time to retire a sliding Sid Bream, this one ended when Chipper Jones grounded out into a game and season-ending double play to Giants first baseman J.T. Snow.

"This is as low as it gets," Chipper Jones said after watching his team fail to advance to the NLCS for the second time in the last three years."

While Bonds and his teammates advance to the NLCS with the victory, the Braves hopes for a world championship have officially ended on a night that Millwood was charged with two earned runs on four hits in five innings.

Kevin Millwood   /   P
	Height: 6'4" Weight: 205 Bats/Throws: R/R More info: Player page Stats Splits Phillies site

Bonds' leadoff single in the second inning led to the Giants' first run and his solo homer to begin the fourth provided what proved to be the decisive blow against Millwood and the Braves. The man many of the Braves call the best player in the game finished the series with a .294 average, three homers and four RBIs.

Chipper Jones   /   LF
	Height: 6'4" Weight: 210 Bats/Throws: S/R More info: Player page Stats Splits Hit chart Braves site

After winning Games 2 and 3 of the series, the Braves felt confident they would advance to the NLCS for the 10th time since 1991. But two straight losses in which their offense produced a total of four runs ended the dreams for a team that at one point during this season seemed almost unbeatable.

"This team had great chemistry," Jones said. "We battle back in these types of situations all year long. We just didn't get it done tonight. It makes me sick."

Millwood struck out the side in the fifth and still felt strong. But Cox pulled his right-hander in favor of a pinch-hitter in the bottom half of the inning, in hopes of rejuvenating his offense that was struggling against Giants starter Russ Ortiz, who won Games 1 and 5.

Darren Bragg, who pinch hit for Millwood, started a rally by reaching on a throwing error by Giants third baseman David Bell. Walks to Julio Franco and Gary Sheffield, who finished the series with just one hit in 16 at-bats, produced a bases-loaded situation with Jones coming to the plate.

But the Braves left fielder, who undoubtedly was the man the Braves wanted at the plate in any clutch situation hit a sharp grounder up the middle to an awaiting Rich Aurilia, who stepped on second base to end the threat and inning.

"I don't think anyone feels worse than myself and Shef," Jones said. "We are the guys that were supposed to get the job done and didn't."

Tom Glavine, who was pounded while losing Games 1 and 4 of the series, was another key player who failed to come up big during the series. He said Sunday night that he felt horrible that he had placed Millwood and his team in this position where there was no room for error.

Now, he has to wonder what might have been had he simply been able to win at least one of his two starts. Glavine and Greg Maddux are now free agents. Their lives as Braves could possibly come to an end and with it the end an unprecedented run of 11 consecutive trips into the postseason.

While Glavine spent the final moments as a bystander, Maddux, who won Game 3 on Saturday, was standing on the bullpen mound in preparation of throwing a 10th inning that never occurred.

Sitting amidst a group of angry and disappointed teammates, neither Glavine or Maddux wanted to discuss what their futures may hold.

"I'm not ready to think about that," Maddux said. "I'm still trying to cool down from getting ready to pitch. It's way too early to talk about it."

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com and can be reached at bowman.mark@worldnet.att.net. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.