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Phillies on brink of eliminating Brewers in Game Three

Oct 4, 2008 - 10:02 AM National League Division Series Phillies lead 2-0

Philadelphia at Milwaukee 6:30 p.m. EDT

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies are one win away from awaiting their opponent in the National League Championship Series.

The Phillies look to complete a sweep of the fading Milwaukee Brewers in Game Three of the National League Division Series on Saturday.

On the verge of their first playoff series win since beating the Atlanta Braves in the 1993 NLCS, the Phillies can continue to ease the pain of last season's bitter end.

They snapped a 13-year playoff drought by rallying to win the NL East title in 2007, only to lose three straight playoff games to the eventual NL champion Colorado Rockies.

After a dominant pitching performance from Cole Hamels in a 3-1 victory in Game One, Shane Victorino hit a second-inning grand slam off Milwaukee ace CC Sabathia, and starter Brett Myers took care of the rest to give the Phillies a 5-2 win in Game Two. The Phillies scored runs in one inning of each victory.

Jamie Moyer takes the mound looking to build on the past two strong outings by manager Charlie Manuel's starters. Moyer, who was 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA over 33 starts in the regular season, is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in five career playoff starts.

In his only postseason outing since 2001, the 45-year-old lefthander yielded one run and five hits over six stellar frames against the Rockies in a 2-1 series-ending loss last October 6.

Dave Bush counters for the Brewers, who are on the brink of ending their first postseason run since 1982.

The 28-year-old righthander makes his first career playoff start after going 9-10 with a 4.18 ERA in the regular season. Bush posted a 5.25 ERA in two starts against the Phillies.

Milwaukee, which has managed a total of only three runs and seven hits in the first two games, went 49-32 at home, but no team in the history of the NLDS has overcome a 2-0 series deficit.