Phillies advance, knock Brewers out of playoffs

Members of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after defeating the Brewers, 6-2, on Sunday in Milwaukee. Philadelphia will face Los Angeles in the NL championship series.

? 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 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 Milwaukee. “I think we can hold our own with them. Actually, I think we can beat anybody in the National League, really.”

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.

The Phillies rushed the mound at Miller Park after the final out, setting off a raucous celebration. Some Philly fans held up a banner that read, “World Series Here We Come Fightin’ Phillies.”