nl championship series

Needing a comeback in the NL championship series opener, Milwaukee turned to its power duo of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, then got a clutch hit from Yuniesky Betancourt to beat the Cardinals 9-6.

Braun launched a two-run, 463-foot homer in the first inning and added a two-run double during a six-run burst in the fifth.

Nyjer Morgan did it again for Milwaukee, delivering an RBI single in the 10th inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Friday in Game 5 and send the Brewers to the NL championship series.

Buster Posey drove in a pair of runs and fellow San Francisco rookie Madison Bumgarner held Philadelphia scoreless through three innings as the Giants took a 2-0 lead over the Phillies in Game 4 of the NL championship series Wednesday night.

Posey hit a two-out RBI single in the first inning off Joe Blanton and a two-out, run-scoring double in the third for the Giants, who lead the series 2-1.

Cody Ross keeps giving his best Barry Bonds imitation. With the home run king watching and cheering from a front-row seat, Ross delivered again, Matt Cain outdueled Cole Hamels and the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 Tuesday for a 2-1 lead in the NL championship series.

Roy Oswalt was an ace on the mound, pesky at the plate and daring on the bases. Call that a complete game -- sort of.

Oswalt pitched eight dominant innings, Jimmy Rollins drove in four runs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants 6-1 Sunday night to even the NL championship series at one game apiece.

The San Francisco Giants won another thriller, again with help from some shaky Atlanta defense, and they're off to the NL championship series for the first time since 2002.

Cole Hamels completed what Roy Halladay started, putting the Philadelphia Phillies back in the NL Championship Series.