Howard steadies Halladay, gives Phils 1-0 lead

PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Howard took a mighty cut, dropped his bat and admired the shot.The big slugger didn't go down looking in a clutch spot this time, Roy Halladay overcame a shaky start and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Saturday night in the opener of their NL division series. Howard shook off his season-ending strikeout last October in the championship series to hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in a five-run sixth inning, sending Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy."I left last year in the past," Howard said. "You can't let what happened last year affect this year. It's a fresh start."Halladay retired his last 21 batters, and the NL East champions began their all-or-nothing postseason run with a comeback win.Halladay allowed three runs and three hits, striking out eight in eight innings. He didn't allow a runner after Skip Schumaker led off the second with a single."That's why he's the best in the game," Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said. "We wanted to keep adding on it, but we just never put that inning together again."Game 2 is Sunday night, with Cliff Lee pitching for Philadelphia against Chris Carpenter, who is starting on three days' rest.Raul Ibanez hit a two-run shot off Kyle Lohse to cap the Phillies' burst in the sixth, and Shane Victorino had three hits and two RBIs.Last year, in his first career playoff start, Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history in Philadelphia's 4-0 victory over Cincinnati.His bid for an encore in the first round didn't last one batter, and Lance Berkman hit the first three-run homer off Halladay in three years to put the wild-card Cardinals up 3-0 in the first.But the offense bailed out Doc."I couldn't think of a worse start and putting your team in a hole like that," Halladay said. "But you get to this point, you're not going to pack it in." Lohse retired the first 10 batters before Chase Utley hit a double off the right-field fence in the fourth. The righty, who was 14-8 this season, ran out of gas in the sixth.Down 3-1, Jimmy Rollins singled to start the inning. After Utley struck out, Hunter Pence grounded a single up the middle. That brought up Howard, who heard a lot of criticism for taking that called third strike last year in the NLCS with the tying run on second base to end the Phillies' season against San Francisco.Howard worked a full count before launching a towering drive into the second deck in right-center to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.The towel-waving crowd went wild, and Howard came out for a curtain call."In that situation, I knew he wasn't really going to throw a fastball, so I just sat on the changeup," Howard said. "Trying to get me to chase, but he just kind of left one up there hanging for me."Victorino followed with a single. Ibanez then lined a two-run homer to right to end Lohse's night.Lohse allowed six runs -- five earned -- and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.The Cardinals scored three times in the ninth off relievers Michael Stutes and Ryan Madson, highlighted by Schumaker's two-run double.The two teams took different roads to get here.The Phillies cruised to their fifth straight division title, winning a franchise-record and major league-best 102 games. Anything less than a second World Series title in four years will be considered a failure by players, management and fans.The Cardinals needed an incredible collapse by Atlanta and help from Philadelphia to earn the wild card. St. Louis trailed the Braves by 10½ games on Aug. 25, but went 23-8 the rest of the way and got in after Game 162 when the Phillies completed a three-game sweep in Atlanta. For a while, it seemed the Phillies might regret helping the Cardinals reach the playoffs.A day after borrowing a line from William Shakespeare, saying he "came here to bury Caesar, not praise him," Halladay didn't back up his words right away.Rafael Furcal led off the game with a single and stole second. One out later, Halladay walked Pujols on four pitches. Berkman drove the next pitch off the mini-scoreboard hanging on the facing off the second deck in right field."You have to beat those guys 3-to-whatever," Berkman said. "He's not going to give up much more than that. He's a great pitcher."The switch-hitting Berkman hit all 31 of his homers in the regular season from the left side. No. 32 was the first three-run homer Halladay allowed since Aug. 21, 2008, when Hideki Matsui connected for the Yankees in a 14-3 loss to Toronto."He was kind of like a 'Rocky' movie," manager Charlie Manuel said of Halladay. "He got mad after he gave up that homer. That ticked him off and he hung in there and he got going. But he's special. He's everything people talk about."The Phillies will turn Berkman around the next two games with lefties Lee and Cole Hamels on the mound.Howard hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Victorino and Ibanez each had RBI singles in the inning to pad Philadelphia's lead.An unearned run got Philadelphia within 3-1 in the fourth. After Utley's one-out double, Pence struck out and Howard walked. Victorino hit a foul pop down the left-field line that should've ended the inning.But third baseman David Freese tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch and the ball fell out of his glove for an error. Victorino hit an opposite-field single to left to score Utley.Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who won it last year in his first season in the NL, was 19-6 with a career-best 2.35 ERA and eight complete games this season.He made certain the relievers stayed in the bullpen until this game was out of reach.A crowd of 46,480 was the 218th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park, including postseason play. The stadium resembled an apple orchard with all the red-clad fans.Game notes Cardinals RHP Kyle McClellan was disappointed that he was left off the roster because of a tired arm. "McClellan is a real weapon," manager Tony La Russa said. "That was a very tough call, and I know he's very upset with it, and he should be. Made totally on his best interest."... Only the New York Yankees (27) have won more World Series titles than the Cardinals (10). ... The Cardinals were 6-3 vs. the Phillies in the regular season. ... The Phillies are 15-7 in Game 1s, while the Cardinals fell to 16-19. ... The Cardinals didn't have five-time All-Star, LF Matt Holliday because of a hand injury. ... Howard is 9 for 18 with three homers off Lohse. ... The Phillies, who acquired Pence from Houston on July 29, are now 8-0 with all of their regulars in the lineup. ... Pence was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs in his first postseason game.

Brewers up 1-0 after Gallardo outduels Kennedy

MILWAUKEE -- Yovani Gallardo emerged from the shadows, outpitching Arizona ace Ian Kennedy as the Milwaukee Brewers kept winning at Miller Park, beating the Diamondbacks 4-1 in their NL division series opener on Saturday.Prince Fielder chased Kennedy with a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning, helping erase the stigma that the big slugger's playoffs would be anything like 2008, when he went 1 for 14.Same, too, with Gallardo. The right-hander retired 14 of 15 during one stretch, perhaps helped by how the shadows cut across the infield. With an early start time, the sun peeked through the retractable roof all afternoon, creating a crazy, changing pattern.Gallardo gave up one run and four hits over eight innings and matched a postseason franchise record with nine strikeouts.Gallardo was only nicked by Ryan Roberts' home run in the eighth, and won in his first postseason start since a Game 1 loss in the 2008 NLDS to Philadelphia. An All-Star in 2010, he went 17-10 this season, yet is rarely mentioned among the elite pitchers in the game.He's even overshadowed -- so to speak -- on his own staff by 2009 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke.Game 2 is Sunday. Greinke will start for Milwaukee against Daniel Hudson.Jerry Hairston Jr., playing in place of starter Casey McGehee, put the Brewers ahead for good in the fourth with a sacrifice fly in the fourth set up by Fielder's double.Ryan Braun, who fell just short of the NL batting title, contributed three hits. The All-Star left fielder also threw out a runner at the plate in the first inning as Milwaukee's shaky defense was suddenly solid.John Axford pitched a perfect ninth for his first save after converting his last 43 in a row in the regular season. The Brewers started 1-0 at Miller Park after winning a major-league best 57 times at home during their run to the NL Central title. Gallardo was at his best over his final three starts and reached more than 200 strikeouts for the second straight season. He never made a mark in the postseason in 2008 because he need surgery and missed almost five months after tearing a ligament in his right knee.This performance changes that.Gallardo got out of a first-inning jam thanks to Braun's throw, then cruised until Willie Bloomquist singled in the sixth. Hairston ended that inning when he scooped up a weak grounder to third base by Justin Upton and threw him out as he tried sliding into first.In the seventh, Lyle Overbay drove a ball to deep center field where Nyjer Morgan gathered it at the warning track before slamming into the wall to end the inning.Fielder hit his second postseason home run in the seventh after Braun doubled for his third hit of the day, making it 4-0. Fielder and his teammates celebrated in the dugout after the shot that broke open the game.The fans also hailed Fielder -- a free agent-to-be, he's already said this is probably his last season in Milwaukee.Gallardo's lone mistake came when Roberts homered off him to start the eighth. But the 25-year-old struck out Gerardo Parra, pinch hitter Sean Burroughs and Bloomquist to end the inning.Gallardo showed an uncharacteristic flash of emotion, too, slamming his right hand into his glove as he walked off the mound. He improved to 6-0 in six career starts against Arizona with a 1.18 ERA.Milwaukee's normal infield of Fielder, Rickie Weeks at second, Yuniesky Betancourt at short and McGehee at third committed 71 errors this year. With McGehee also struggling at the plate, manager Ron Roenicke started Hairston.It worked in the field and at the plate.Braun singled off Kennedy, a 21-game winner, to start the fourth. Fielder followed with a double down the left field line opposite the shift to put runners in scoring position and Kennedy hit Weeks to load the bases with no out. Hairston followed with a sacrifice fly.Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead with a pair of two-out hits in the sixth. Betancourt tripled and scored when Jonathan Lucroy's bloop landed just between Bloomquist at short and Parra in left.Arizona, which has been aggressive under manager Kirk Gibson all season, tested Milwaukee's shaky defense from the start.Bloomquist singled to lead off the game and easily stole second with one out. Upton singled and third base coach Matt Williams never hesitated sending Bloomquist home.Braun's throw from left needed two hops, but arrived perfectly to the left side of the catcher Lucroy, who blocked the plate and tagged out Bloomquist.Gallardo settled into a rhythm from there, mixing his slider and curveball with his sharp fastball as the long shadows crossed the playing field in the retractable roof ballpark that opened in 2001.Game notes Diamondbacks hitting coach Don Baylor was back with the team after he fainted in the clubhouse on Friday. He was released from the hospital early Saturday morning. Baylor said he fainted because of a complication with medicine he was taking for back spasms. ... Brewers radio broadcaster Bob Uecker threw out the first pitch and Joseph Attanasio, father of principal owner Mark Attanasio, sang the national anthem. ... Roenicke said the plan at the moment was to start Randy Wolf (13-10, 3.69 ERA) for Game 4, if necessary, instead of bringing Gallardo back on short rest. ... Greinke is 11-0 with a 3.13 ERA in 15 home starts, and Milwaukee is 15-0 in those games. ... Hudson is 0-3 in his last three starts with a 4.26 ERA.

Braves loss caps Cards' unlikely run to playoffs

HOUSTON -- Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals completed one of baseball's greatest comebacks, clinching the NL wild card Wednesday night with an 8-0 win over Houston and a later loss by Atlanta.The Cardinals got their playoff spot when the Braves fell to Philadelphia 4-3 in 13 innings.St. Louis trailed Atlanta by 10½ games on Aug. 25. The Cardinals won 23 of their last 31 games. The Cardinals will open the postseason on Saturday at NL East champion Philadelphia. In the other NL playoff matchup, Arizona visits Milwaukee.Carpenter (11-9) struck out 11 and allowed two hits in his 15th career complete-game shutout as St. Louis kept up its improbable September charge."We had nothing to lose. We were already out of it," Carpenter said. "People were telling us we were done. We decided to go out and play and not embarrass ourselves and do what we can. We played ourselves back into it."The Cardinals poured onto the field after Carpenter fielded J.D. Martinez's weak grounder for the final out. The celebration was brief and muted, as the team raced into the clubhouse to watch the end of the game in Atlanta."It was exciting, there's no doubt about it," Carpenter said. "The way these guys have played the past month and a half has been amazing, every single night grinding, playing their butts off, not giving up."We continued to give ourselves an opportunity and now we are here."The teams entered Wednesday's regular-season finales with 89-72 records. Atlanta's game started an hour earlier, but the Cardinals virtually took away any hope for a Houston victory in the first inning of their contest, jumping to a 5-0 lead against Brett Myers (7-14).Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman drove in runs with singles, and David Freese doubled to left-center before Myers even recorded an out. Berkman scored when Skip Schumaker's hard grounder ricocheted off Myers' glove for an infield hit, and Freese came home on Nick Punto's single to right.Carpenter handled the rest.He had struggled at Minute Maid Park lately, going 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA in his last five starts here, but he was in total command from the start on Wednesday, striking out five of the first nine hitters he faced. He also had an RBI single in the third to drive in Freese, who reached base when right fielder Brian Bogusevic dropped his fly ball for an error.Freese led off the fifth with a double to right-center, the Cardinals' 10th hit of the game. Myers, 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA in his last five starts, hadn't allowed more than nine hits in a start since Aug. 6.Freese later scored on Schumaker's groundout to shortstop Clint Barmes for a 7-0 lead, equaling the most runs given up by Myers in 33 starts this season. Wilton Lopez replaced Myers for the start of the sixth.As the Astros batted in the seventh, the left-field scoreboard posted a 3-3 tie in the Phillies-Braves game, prompting a roar from the large contingent of Cardinals' fans in the stands behind the St. Louis dugout. Carpenter then struck out Bogusevic and Jimmy Paredes to wrap up another easy inning. Allen Craig hit a solo homer in the ninth off Lance Pendleton.The Cardinals huddled around a television in the clubhouse cafeteria after their victory.Only three weeks ago, the Cardinals had virtually lost all hope."There was absolute doubt from us," Punto said. "I remember early on in September, we were like, 'Let's just finish up strong for the fans. Let's give them something to come out and watch.'"When you're 10½ games out, that's a hole you can't climb out of," he said, "unless you get a lot of help."The Cardinals were loose and relaxed -- and confident -- before the game.Champagne was ordered for a potential postgame celebration and someone wrote, "Happy Flight! After Game" on a marker board in the clubhouse.Game notes Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said LF Matt Holliday (right hand injury) and SS Rafael Furcal (left hamstring) were unavailable on Wednesday night. ... Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan rejoined the team after missing more than a month to tend to his ailing wife. Jeanine Duncan is recovering from surgery on Aug. 21 to remove a brain tumor. Dave Duncan, La Russa's trusted assistant since the early 1980s, did not know how long he would be able to stay with the club because his wife has more medical appointments scheduled. ... The sparse crowd offered a standing ovation to Astros owner Drayton McLane after a video tribute was shown on the giant scoreboard between the second and third innings. McLane is still waiting for Major League Baseball to approve his sale of the team to Houston businessman Jim Crane for $680 million. General manager Ed Wade said before Wednesday's game that McLane still has the final say on all baseball decisions.

Red Sox start Lavarnway at catcher in No. 162

ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes on the Sox from Baltimore before game 162 More Podcasts " The 24-year-old will bat fifth in making his second career start behind the plate. The game is the biggest of the season for the Red Sox, who enter play Wednesday tied for the wild card lead with the Tampa Bay Rays, who face the New York Yankees on Wednesday in their regular season finale. Red Sox catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia (collarbone) and Jason Varitek (knee) are banged up, though Francona said Wednesday that Saltalamacchia is available to play.

Braves blanked by Nationals, wild-card lead at 1

WASHINGTON -- The top four hitters in the Braves' lineup, including Chipper Jones and Dan Uggla, went a combined 0 for 16 with five strikeouts Sunday in a 3-0 loss to the Washington Nationals that cut Atlanta's NL wild-card lead over St. Louis to one game."This was a very brutal loss for us," Braves rookie first baseman Freddie Freeman said.Atlanta has dropped 10 of its past 15 games, allowing St. Louis to close in. The Braves finish the regular season with a three-game home series starting Monday against the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies. Wilson Ramos homered off Braves starter Mike Minor (5-3) in the fourth, and Michael Morse hit the 29th of his breakout season -- a two-run shot -- off reliever Cristhian Martinez in the seventh.Ross Detwiler (4-5) went six innings for Washington before a crowd of 37,638 in the final game of 2011 at Nationals Park. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four. Over his last two starts of the season, the lefty pitched 13 1/3 scoreless innings, with seven hits, seven strikeouts and three walks.The last 15 Braves batters made outs, including seven strikeouts.With nothing more at stake than a third-place finish, the Nationals have played well down the stretch, winning 12 of 15 games. That includes taking two of three from the struggling Braves."We know what's at stake. We know what every game means," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said before the game. "You've got to go out and play the game with some fun. We can't play with white knuckles on the bat and hold the ball so hard you can't throw it."There were some key moments Sunday when his hitters did fail to produce in the clutch.In the third, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs, thanks to David Ross' single and some serious wildness by Detwiler, who walked No. 8 hitter Jack Wilson and then the opposing pitcher.All told, Detwiler threw eight consecutive pitches that were called balls, going to a 3-0 count on leadoff hitter Michael Bourn -- with nowhere to put him.After finally putting one pitch over the plate for a called strike -- and drawing sarcastic cheers from the crowd at Nationals Park -- Detwiler got Bourn to fly out to left in foul territory. Bearing down some more, Detwiler got out of the inning unscathed: Martin Prado hit a fly to right that wasn't deep enough for Ross to try to tag up and head for home, before Jones grounded out.The bottom of the order gave the Braves another opportunity to score two innings later, but again they came away with nothing to show for it.Ross led off with an infield single, Wilson singled to center, and Minor moved them up with a sacrifice bunt -- putting runners at second and third with one out. But Bourn lined out to second and Prado flied out."You need to get those runs in," Uggla said, "or more than likely it's going to come back to haunt you."In each of his other four innings, Detwiler faced the minimum three hitters.Henry Rodriguez replaced Detwiler in the seventh and was rather impressive, regularly reaching 100 or 101 mph and striking out all three batters he faced. He got pinch hitter Jason Heyward swinging at a 100 mph fastball, Ross on a two-strike foul bunt on a 101 mph offering, and Wilson looking at an 88 mph slider with a ton of movement.Tyler Clippard pitched the eighth, and closer Drew Storen got the last three outs for his 42nd save in 47 chances.Minor hadn't lost in his preceding 11 starts; his last loss came May 31 against San Diego. He threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and one run.Game notes Braves RHP Kris Medlen came on in relief in the eighth inning, his first appearance since Aug. 4, 2010. Medlen had reconstructive elbow surgery later that month and came off the disabled list Saturday. ... Braves INF Alex Gonzalez was out of the starting lineup with a strained right calf muscle for the fourth consecutive game. He said he might be able to play Monday against Philadelphia. ... The Braves will send RHP Randall Delgado (1-1) to the mound in the first game of their season-ending series against the Phillies, who will start LHP Cliff Lee (16-8). ... In Wednesday's season finale, the Braves could start RHP Tommy Hanson (on the DL since Aug. 7 with right shoulder tendinitis) if they've already clinched a playoff berth, Fredi Gonzalez said. Otherwise, RHP Tim Hudson will start on regular rest. ... Atlanta RHP Jair Jurrjens threw three innings in the Instructional League Saturday, and Gonzalez said he could be activated from the DL for the first round of the playoffs. Jurrjens (strained right knee) has been out since Aug. ... Atlanta LHP George Sherrill (left elbow) could be activated this week. ... Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg will be on an innings limit next season, GM Mike Rizzo said. ... Washington wraps up the season with a three-game series at the Florida Marlins. LHP Tommy Milone -- the Nationals are 4-0 in the rookie's four major league starts -- will pitch Monday against Florida's Anibal Sanchez.

Cabrera, Tigers pound Matusz, knock off Orioles

DETROIT -- Brad Penny walked back to the dugout after finishing his final start of the regular season, and a few home fans stood and applauded.It wasn't the easiest season for the burly Detroit right-hander, but he made his contribution to the AL Central champions."It's been a long road for me, but I'm blessed to have been healthy this year and get the innings," Penny said. "Whatever happens, I want this team to win. This team can win." Penny allowed three runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings Sunday, helping the Tigers to a 10-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Penny could be the odd man out when Detroit sets its postseason rotation, but this was his 31st start of the season. He made only nine with St. Louis last year before being sidelined with a back injury.Although his 5.30 ERA is nothing to write home about, Penny (11-11) has thrown 181 2/3 innings, his most since 2007."It was a little inconsistent," Penny said. "Half the year, I was really not where I should have been strength-wise, probably."He had plenty of run support Sunday. Miguel Cabrera homered and singled, keeping the pressure on in his push for the American League batting title before leaving the game with lightheadedness. Manager Jim Leyland didn't seem worried about his slugger."He got dizzy," Leyland said. "I just didn't want to take any chances."Cabrera came out after lining out to left field in the seventh inning -- a trainer had checked on him in the middle of the at-bat. The slugger began the day one point behind Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, but raised his average from .339 to .341 and took over the league lead.Brian Matusz (1-9) gave up six runs and seven hits in five innings.Assuming he doesn't pitch again this year, Matusz will finish with a 10.69 ERA, a record high for a pitcher with at least 40 innings in a season, according to STATS LLC. Roy Halladay had a 10.64 ERA for Toronto in 2000."I'm going to have a lot of motivation going into this winter, because I'm never going to forget what this has felt like," Matusz said. "I've got a lot of mistakes to learn from."The Tigers have clinched the AL Central and are now playing largely for playoff position and individual honors. Cabrera hit a two-run shot in the first inning, his 29th home run of the year, and Victor Martinez, Don Kelly and Jhonny Peralta added homers of their own for Detroit.After Cabrera gave Detroit a 2-0 lead, Delmon Young hit an RBI single in the third to make it 3-0.Baltimore scored three runs in the fifth to tie it. Pedro Florimon Jr. drove in two of them with a double, his first career hit.Detroit immediately rallied back. After Cabrera hit a two-out single in the bottom of the inning, Martinez followed with a three-run homer to make it 6-3. Kelly added a three-run shot an inning later.Nolan Reimold hit a three-run homer in the eighth for the Orioles -- an estimated 434 feet to left-center -- to make it 9-6. Peralta's solo shot in the bottom half gave Detroit another insurance run.The Tigers are 27-9 since Aug. 19 and have pulled away from the rest of the AL Central. They are now hoping to beat out AL West champion Texas for the right to open the first round of the playoffs at home."Anywhere we have to go, it's still a ballpark," Martinez said. "It doesn't matter. Definitely, it's nice to start at home, but if we don't, it's not the end of the world."Game notes Leyland said second baseman Carlos Guillen (strained right calf) isn't ready to return yet. ... Detroit's Magglio Ordonez extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a third-inning single. ... Baltimore's Vladimir Guerrero went 0 for 4 and remained tied with Julio Franco for the career lead in hits by a Dominican-born player. Both have 2,586. ... The Tigers will send Doug Fister (10-13) to the mound Monday night against Cleveland's Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3) to begin the final series of the regular season. ... Baltimore hosts Boston for three games. The Orioles will send Tommy Hunter (4-4) to the mound Monday night to face Josh Beckett (13-6).

Braun helps Brewers wrap up NL Central title

MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun stepped into the box when a familiar feeling overcame him. Just like in 2008, the Brewers homegrown slugger propelled Milwaukee back into the postseason."It's not new," Prince Fielder said. "That's what he does." Braun hit a three-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth with chants of "M-V-P" ringing throughout the sellout crowd and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Florida Marlins 4-1 on Friday night to win their first division title since 1982."I think for me honestly, I live for that moment. You play the game to have the opportunity to play meaningful games down the stretch in September," Braun said. "I truly expected to come through in that situation."Fielder also homered for Milwaukee, which clinched the NL Central and reached the postseason at the earliest date in team history after waiting 20 minutes for the Cubs to finish off their 5-1 win over the Cardinals.With most of sellout crowd still in its seats, fireworks went off again after the Cardinals lost and fans were showered with confetti and streamers.Nearly an hour after the Cubs' victory, Fielder took a victory lap around the field, hugging several of the nearly 5,000 fans that stayed to party.Braun homered off Clay Hensley (6-7) to end a 1-for-16 skid. He then pointed his bat in the air toward owner Mark Attanasio and the fans before rounding the bases."I definitely knew I hit it pretty good. It felt amazing," Braun said. "It just feels so good, all of us as a team, to be in this moment."It was reminiscent of his 2008 homer on the last day of the season that lifted Milwaukee to its first postseason appearance since winning the AL East in 1982. Now, they're back."It's eerily similar," said Braun, who signed a $105 million extension this season that keeps him in Milwaukee through 2020. "Having the opportunity to watch the last couple of innings of somebody else's game feels almost identical."Obviously a little better, though, because we won our division instead of the wild card," he said.In 2008, the Brewers waited for the Marlins to eliminate the Mets before they could celebrate.Shortly after the Cardinals' first out, the team congregated in the Brewers clubhouse, passing out champagne and preparing for its second celebration in four seasons.The stadium has remained packed even though this season hasn't been as dramatic as '08. Milwaukee built a 10 1/2-game lead midway through August over St. Louis, and even though the Cardinals whittled it down, time ran out."It means a lot, we've got a great team, the fans are with us all here," Fielder said. "I'm just glad we're able to do it, we've got a little ways to go, but I'm going to enjoy the hell out of this. Hopefully, we go all the way."Milwaukee fell to the Cardinals in seven games in the 1982 World Series, but even that season they didn't have a home-field advantage like this.The Brewers are 53-23 at Miller Park, one win away from tying the most home wins in franchise history.Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo pitched into the eighth, setting two franchise records for strikeouts before leaving when Emilio Bonifacio singled and second baseman Rickie Weeks couldn't handle a throw that put two on.Francisco Rodriguez (6-2) came in and struck out Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison to end the inning, pumping his fist and beating his chest after escaping the jam.Corey Hart doubled off Hensley with one out and Morgan walked to bring up Braun. Milwaukee had been 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position before Braun's at-bat.After fouling a pitch off and working the count to 3-1, Braun hit Hensley's slider to deep left-center field, hitting off the scoreboard supports, then returned for a curtain call from the crowd of 44,584."Ryan loves the big stage," Attanasio said.John Axford converted his 44th save in 46 chances with a perfect ninth, including the last 41 in a row, but had to pause with two outs in the ninth when the Cubs-Cardinals score was displayed after Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run homer.Milwaukee has made three previous trips to the playoffs, but never was assured a spot until either the next to last day or final day of the season.Fielder's homer off Chris Volstad was his 35th this year, but that was the only mistake the lanky right-hander made. Volstad deserved better. He scattered five hits and struck out five, but hasn't won a start since July 10.The Marlins tied it in the fourth when Sanchez doubled and scored on Petersen's two-out single. Braun made a diving catch in the fifth, setting the stage for his big at-bat."That may have been the turning point of the game," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said.General manager Doug Melvin said his goal coming into the season was to drop confetti from the Miller Park roof, just like in 2008. In the offseason, he decided to keep Fielder, a free agent to be, and built the starting rotation by trading away his farm system's top talent.In the span of two weeks in December, Melvin dealt his starting shortstop, backup center fielder, top pitching prospect, top hitting prospect and two pitchers who projected to be no worse than major league relievers.The returns included 2009 AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum. Melvin said the Brewers were all-in, just liked they were in 2008 when they traded for CC Sabathia at midseason.The gamble paid off again, but it took longer than expected for rookie manager Ron Roenicke.Milwaukee remained in third place behind Pittsburgh and St. Louis on July 25. Milwaukee then won 27 of 32 to take a 10 1/2-game lead in the NL Central."I know the team always felt like we were going to play good ball," Roenicke said. "It didn't take long for us to turn that around."Milwaukee joined the NL in 1998 and watched St. Louis win seven division titles while the Brewers remained mostly in the bottom of the division.Things began changing when Attanasio, an L.A. investment banker, purchased the Brewers in September 2004 from Commissioner Bud Selig's family and steadily raised the payroll, up to more than $85 million to start this season.Milwaukee holds losing records against the Phillies, Braves and Diamondbacks -- the other three NL teams in line to join them in the postseason. This time, the Brewers come in a team built on pitching and still has a potent offense."It's the most fun you can possibly have," Attanasio said. "The thing about all our guys, they really pull together."Game notes Marlins closer Leo Nunez admitted Friday to using fake documents and a fake ID to sign a professional contract more than a year ago and Dominican authorities arrested a man accused of falsifying Nunez's documents. ... With Nunez gone, McKeon will finish the season mixing and matching who will close games. ... Morgan received an award as the team's high energy player of the year, and his alter ego, Tony Plush, got a second trophy in a lighthearted moment. ... Greinke (15-6, 3.75 ERA) faces Marlins RHP Alex Sanabia (0-0, 1.29) in the second of this three-game series on Saturday night.