Old habits die hard ... so be nervous, Philadelphia

MILWAUKEE -- Perhaps it shouldn't surprise us when the Phillies have trouble closing out a series, seeing as how they've only done it four times in their 126-year life as a mostly losing, mostly miserable franchise. And perhaps it shouldn't surprise us when the Brewers come out on top in a must-win game, since they did pretty much that in every game the last week of the season.

Charlie Manuel knows his team has to start hitting. (Getty Images)

As Craig Counsell said Saturday night, "We've been doing a good job getting out of messes."

The Brewers aren't yet out of this mess, but they're not yet out of this series, either. And if that doesn't seem to bother the Phillies even one little bit, maybe it should.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins said Saturday that the Phillies weren't really prepared for the realities of playoff baseball last year, and that they were much better prepared this year. But after their 4-1 loss to the Brewers in Game 3, you've got to wonder how prepared they really are.

"We'll find a way, that's all I can say," Rollins said afterward. "We'll find a way."

The Phillies still lead this series, two games to one, so they still have two more chances to find a way. And even though CC Sabathia would await them in a possible Game 5 back in Philadelphia, Sabathia would be matching up with Cole Hamels, who shut out the Brewers for eight innings in Game 1.

"I love our chances," Phillies infielder Greg Dobbs said. "There's no reason to feel bad. I don't want to diminish a loss, but a loss should just motivate you to come back the next day and even the score."

Actually, it's not evening the score that the Phillies need. It's scoring a few runs, and getting a few clutch hits. As manager Charlie Manuel so helpfully pointed out, the Phils have batted in 25 innings in this series and have scored in just three of them.

They're 5-for-30 with runners in scoring position, after going 1-for-11 Saturday. That should sound familiar to Phillies fans, because the Phils were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position in their three straight losses to the Rockies last October.

Phillies players don't seem to see a problem there. The Phillies manager does.

"I mean, we've gotta hit," Manuel said. "We've got to score runs. We're supposed to hit, and when we don't, yeah I'm concerned about it. In order for us to go to the World Series, we've got to hit."

And while that hitting could come from anywhere, it would be helpful if some of it came from the middle of the order. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were each seen as MVP candidates at one point this season, but for the postseason they're a combined 4-for-20, and just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

The Phillies took their 2-0 lead on the strength of two big starting pitching performances from Hamels and Brett Myers, and one huge hit from Shane Victorino. But Saturday starter Jamie Moyer had uncharacteristic control problems and gave up two first-inning runs, and Sunday's Game 4 starter is the uninspiring Joe Blanton.