Maddux sends Braves to 2-1 series advantage

SAN FRANCISCO -- Greg Maddux looked like a fine postseason pitcher this time around -- doing more than enough to get Atlanta closer to another NL championship series.

Maddux shook his past playoff blunders, winning his first postseason game in three years, as the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 10-2 Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in their NL division series.

And the Braves got big hits from two unlikely heroes.

Vinny Castilla, who hit just .232 during the season, had a two-run single, and Keith Lockhart, a non-roster invitee to spring training, added a three-run homer in Atlanta's five-run sixth inning.

Aside from another late-inning homer from Barry Bonds after Atlanta had already taken control, Maddux allowed only four other hits in six innings. He ended a four-game postseason losing streak and avoided tying teammate Tom Glavine with the most losses in the playoffs and World Series.

Maddux couldn't care what his critics say. Maddux won 16 games this year to register at least 15 victories for the 15th straight season, a feat accomplished by only Maddux and Cy Young.

"There are a lot more things I'm worried about than what people think," Maddux said. "I don't worry about it. I want to pitch for the right reasons, and that's not the right reason. The 24 guys in here is why you pitch."

Maddux's start had been pushed back to Game 3 because of a blister on his throwing hand, which began to bother him as he got deeper into the game Saturday.

Glavine, the Game 1 loser, starts Game 4 of the best-of-five series Sunday against Livan Hernandez. The Braves have been to nine of the last 10 NL championships.

Pitcher Jason Schmidt's first postseason appearance ended in disappointment after a strong start. With one out in the sixth, he gave up three straight walks to Gary Sheffield, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones before giving way to Manny Aybar with the bases loaded.

Two pitches later, the Braves had scored five runs to break a 1-all tie. Castilla, hitting .400 in the series, drove in two runs with his single to left and Lockhart followed with a drive that barely reached the arcade atop the elevated right-field fence.

It was Lockhart's first homer in exactly three months. He had four RBIs for the game.

"I've gotten some hits, but that's probably the biggest," Lockhart said. "I'll enjoy it. "