Brewers hope for happy return
PHILADELPHIA — Dale Sveum and the Milwaukee Brewers are hoping this trip to Philly works out better than their last time in the city.
Milwaukee was swept by the Phillies in a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park last month and manager Ned Yost was fired the next day. Two weeks later, the wild-card winners are back and Sveum is filling out the lineup card.
"We learned yet again we were able to deal with adversity," left fielder Ryan Braun said. "The end of that series was about as low as we got as a team."
The Phillies trailed the Brewers by four games in the wild-card standings, and capped the surprising series with a day-night doubleheader sweep. Yost was fired Sept. 15 and Sveum took over for his friend.
After a 1-4 start under Sveum, the Brewers finished 6-1 and clinched their first postseason berth since 1982 with a win in the last game of the season.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel doesn't expect this series to be won as easily as their last matchup.
"I think at that time they weren't hitting the ball real good. They were having problems," Manuel said. "At the same time, I look at how we pitched and we did a good job."
Crawford ready?
Barring a setback, Rays left fielder Carl Crawford likely will return to the lineup Thursday in the division series against the Chicago White Sox after missing most of the past seven weeks with a finger injury that required surgery.
The two-time All-Star participated in an Instructional League game Tuesday, and manager Joe Maddon liked what he saw.
Edmonds and Cubs
In spring training, pitcher Ryan Dempster predicted the Cubs would get to the World Series.
Jim Edmonds? He thought he'd be sunning himself on a beach right now.
Edmonds got off to such a rough start after signing with San Diego that the club released him on May 9. Retirement was a possibility. The Cubs picked him up five days later and he wound up playing a big role for a team that won the most games in the National League.
"I thought I'd be in Hawaii today, the way the season started," Edmonds said Tuesday in Chicago. "This is great."
