By Josh Dubow
The Associated Press

Barry Bonds yawns during practice at Pac Bell Park Friday. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

SAN FRANCISCO - Sure, Barry Bonds is having the best postseason of his career. But the biggest reason he's two wins away from his first World Series is because he's also gotten lots of help from his teammates.

The San Francisco Giants, paced by a balanced offensive attack, lead the NL championship series 2-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals heading into Game 3 at Pacific Bell Park on Saturday.

And the biggest hits so far have come from players such as Rich Aurilia and Benito Santiago, not Bonds and Jeff Kent.

"It's hard not to overlook guys when you have Barry and Jeff in there. They're both MVPs," Giants manager Dusty Baker said Friday.

Baker said his powerful duo overshadows the rest of the team the way other great pairs have done in the past, like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, and Willie Mays and Willie McCovey.

"Not that these guys are of the same magnitude, but how many people know who was in there other than Ruth and Gehrig, and Mantle and Maris or Mays and McCovey?" Baker said. "If you've got two big guns like this, they are going to get most of the accolades and the credit."

This was the kind of help Bonds didn't get when he struggled in his first five trips to the postseason, losing every time.

In three series with Pittsburgh and his first two with San Francisco, Bonds hit .196 with one home run and six RBIs in 97 at-bats, hardly the numbers of baseball's best player.

Bonds has broken through this year with three homers and six RBIs in seven playoff games. But even when he's not delivering, the Giants are scoring.

They are averaging 5.4 runs per game in the playoffs, and only seven of their 37 RBIs gave come from Bonds and Kent.

"That's the sign of a good team," said first baseman J.T. Snow, who's hitting .333 in the postseason.

"We know that Barry gets a lot of attention and deservedly so, and that Jeff Kent has had a great year and a great career. But the sign of a good team is that someone else can come through on any night when we need them. That's what you need to do in the postseason."

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said the Giants became much tougher to pitch to when Bonds dropped into the cleanup spot, with Kent batting third.

While that switch sometimes keeps Bonds from batting in the first inning, it has given him more RBI chances.

"They have tremendous depth in their lineup," La Russa said. "Kent has to be respected so that creates opportunities for Aurilia. Bonds adds to Kent and gives chances to Benito. Dusty made a good move because they're getting more guys on base for Bonds, which means you have to pitch to him."

The depth has been key so far in the postseason.

Leadoff hitter Kenny Lofton has been wreaking havoc with his bat, glares and throwing arm. Aurilia (four homers, 11 RBIs) and Santiago (nine RBIs) have driven in more than half of San Francisco's 37 runs.

David Bell and Snow have been productive at the bottom of the lineup, giving the Cardinals' pitchers no breaks.

"Their lineup is very balanced," Game 3 starter Chuck Finley said. "If you don't take your mind off Kent, then Aurilia gets you. If you don't take your mind off Barry, and J.T. or Santiago will get you."

That's just the way the Giants like it.

"People look at us as a one-man show," Lofton said. "But you can't get this far with just one man."