Burrell powers Phils win

His two homers led Philadelphia to a 3-1 series victory over Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — With plenty of power to go with their improved pitching, the Philadelphia Phillies are ready for anything in the NL championship series.

Bring on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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

“I think we can hold our own with them. 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-5 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.

In the clubhouse, the Phillies sprayed each other with champagne and beer, with Rollins wearing swimming goggles and a big grin as he searched for unsuspecting — not to mention dry — teammates.

Burrell was doused so many times it’ll be days before his sweatshirt dries out, but he never stopped smiling.

“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.

“It’s going to be a good series, but I think we can score runs on them,” Manuel said. “The way our guys pitch ... I don’t see no reason in the world why we can’t stay right with them.”

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.

“We did something we hadn’t done for a long time. We have to build on this,” said slugger Prince Fielder, who hadn’t even been born the last time the Brewers made the playoffs. “I’m happy with the season. Just because we didn’t win doesn’t take away what we did.”

Rollins led off Sunday’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, Shane Victorino doubled to left with one out and went to third on a groundout by Chase Utley. The Brewers opted to walk Ryan Howard, which wouldn’t seem like a bad move, considering Burrell’s single in the second was his first hit of the postseason.

“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,” Burrell said.

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.