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A look back at sports

Phillies beat Brewers to make NL title series

CHICAGO
Sun Oct 5, 2008 5:43pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Phillies won their first trip to the National League championship series in 15 years when they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 in Game Four of their division series on Sunday.

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The Phillies will face the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League championship beginning Thursday in Philadelphia. The Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs on Saturday to help set up the best-of-seven championship series.

Pat Burrell homered twice, including a three-run hit in a four-run third inning, to power the visiting Phillies. He also homered in the eighth inning.

"For us to get to the point where we are going to have a chance to move on in this post-season is a special feeling," the veteran Burrell told reporters.

The Phillies' outfielder had three hits and drove in four runs in the deciding game. His three-run homer off Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan staked Philadelphia to a 4-0 lead and Jayson Werth added a solo home run later in the inning.

"It was just a fastball," Burrell said of his highlight homer. "I was able to get a good swing on it and give us a big lead."

Jimmy Rollins started the Philadelphia power show with a leadoff homer in the first inning.

"We had some momentum, but it was important for us to come out a get a lead," Burrell said of the Phillies, who had won the first two games in Philadelphia before losing to the Brewers in Milwaukee on Saturday.

"Jimmy Rollins set up the game with a home run. That really set the tone for us," Burrell added.

Joe Blanton pitched six effective innings for the Phillies, limiting the Brewers to one run and five hits while striking out seven.

(Writing by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; editing by Miles Evans)



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