honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, October 6, 2008

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: DIVISION SERIES
Phillies overpower Brewers

Photo gallery: Baseball Playoffs

By NANCY ARMOUR
Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Philadelphia's Pat Burrell, top, is welcomed by teammates after hitting the first of his two home runs against Milwaukee — a three-run shot in the third inning that put the Phillies ahead 4-0.

BEN SMIDT | Associated Press

spacer spacer
Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
spacer spacer
Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Jimmy Rollins

spacer spacer

MILWAUKEE — With plenty of power to go with their improved pitching, the Philadelphia Phillies are ready for anything in the National League Championship Series.

Bring on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I like our chances," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said yesterday after Philadelphia clinched its first trip to the NLCS since 1993 with a 6-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

"Actually, I think we can beat anybody in the National League, really," he said.

Especially if the Phillies keep playing this way.

After scuffling through the first three games of the NL Division Series, Philadelphia's offense broke out in a big way against the Brewers in Game 4 of the best-of-five series. Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run, Pat Burrell connected twice to break out of his postseason slump and Jayson Werth added a solo shot.

Not to be overlooked, midseason addition Joe Blanton threw a gem, holding the Brewers to one run after an eight-day layoff.

"That took a lot of pressure off of us," Rollins said of his home run. "We were up 1-0, regardless, no matter how the top of the first ended. On the other side, of course, it's going to put a little more pressure on you because their guys are thinking, 'OK, well, we got to answer back.' "

The Brewers never could, and the Phillies rushed the mound at Miller Park after the final out, setting off a raucous celebration.

"I couldn't be more thrilled. You know, I don't think it's actually sunk in all that much yet," said Burrell, who has been with the Phillies since they drafted him in 1998.

It will later this week, when the Phillies take on the Dodgers. Game 1 of the NLCS is Thursday in Philadelphia.

The wild-card Brewers, meanwhile, head for an offseason of uncertainty after their first playoff appearance in 26 years. Ace pitcher CC Sabathia, who almost single-handedly salvaged Milwaukee's postseason hopes, is a free agent and isn't expected back.

Ben Sheets, the team's second-best starter, might be gone, too.

Oh, and the Brewers need a manager after firing Ned Yost with 12 games left in the regular season. Dale Sveum took over on an interim basis.

"We did something we hadn't done for a long time. We have to build on this," said slugger Prince Fielder. "I'm happy with the season. Just because we didn't win doesn't take away what we did."

Burrell, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were a fearsome trio in the regular season for the Phillies, putting up the kind of numbers that make opposing pitchers shudder. Howard made a case for the NL MVP, leading the league in home runs (48) and RBIs (146), and Utley and Burrell added 33 homers each.

But their bats were deafeningly silent in the first three games of the series, as Philadelphia rode outstanding outings by Cole Hamels and Brett Myers to jump to a 2-0 lead. The Big Three were a dismal 4-for-28 in the first three games, with Burrell going hitless.

The power outage was reminiscent of last year, when they went 5-for-27 while being swept by Colorado. This wasn't the same, Howard and Burrell insisted after Saturday night's loss. Philadelphia's offensive fortunes were about to turn.

Did they ever.

Rollins led off yesterday's game with a homer, turning on a 3-2 pitch from Jeff Suppan and depositing it into the first row of seats in right field. Two innings later, Maui's Shane Victorino doubled to left with one out and went to third on a groundout by Utley. The Brewers opted to walk Howard.

"You can't blame the other team for pitching around him, especially in that situation there. The goal there is just to try and get something to hit," said Burrell. "Fortunately, I hung around long enough to get a good pitch to hit."

Burrell lofted Suppan's 2-2 pitch so deep into the left-field stands that Ryan Braun barely bothered to chase it. The Phillies weren't done, either, with Werth hitting a homer to make it 5-0.

Yovani Gallardo relieved Suppan and kept the Phillies in check, not allowing another hit until the seventh inning. But the damage was done by then.

"We never really got the bases loaded, got a bunch of guys on base to break the game open or get back in the game," Sveum said.

Burrell hit another monster homer in the eighth inning off Guillermo Mota.