Milwaukee stays alive

Brewers' Hardy backs strong start by Bush against Phillies

MILWAUKEE -- J.J. Hardy and the Milwaukee Brewers did just enough to keep their postseason alive for another day.

Back home at Miller Park, the Brewers got three hits from Hardy and a sharp outing from Dave Bush to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 Saturday night and stave off elimination in the NL division series.

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun each had a sacrifice fly for Milwaukee, making its first trip to the postseason since 1982.

Hardy and Jason Kendall added RBI singles.

After CC Sabathia and Yovani Gallardo flopped in Philly, Bush allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings to help send the best-of-five series to a fourth game today.

Three relievers stymied the Phillies before Salomon Torres worked a rocky ninth inning for the save. Philadelphia loaded the bases with no outs and Pedro Feliz hit a double-play grounder to shortstop that appeared to drive in Ryan Howard.

But Shane Victorino, who hit a grand slam off Sabathia in Game 2, was called for interference when he didn't slide into second. The runners were sent back to second and third, and Carlos Ruiz tapped back to Torres to end the game.

Jeff Suppan will start for Milwaukee today. The Phillies did not announce a Game 4 starter before Saturday's game but are expected to send Joe Blanton to the mound.

The Brewers managed just three runs and seven hits as the Phillies won the first two games convincingly. But Milwaukee showed some patience at the plate in Game 3 that was noticeably lacking in Philadelphia.

Mike Cameron and Bill Hall, two free-swinging Brewers, walked with no outs in the first against Jamie Moyer, known for his control. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Fielder hit a sacrifice fly to right with one out.

Hardy followed with a run-scoring single to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.

Bush (1-0), who pitched in college at Wake Forest, allowed the leadoff hitter to reach in four of the first six innings but managed to wiggle out of trouble. He left with one out and a runner on third in the sixth, and Howard hit a run-scoring groundout off Mitch Stetter.

Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks left the game after the third inning with a sprained left knee.

Weeks appeared to jam his knee while batting in the second inning, when he was narrowly cut down at first after a hard-hit grounder to third. He left the field limping, but came out to play defense in the top of the third. He didn't bat in the bottom half, and was replaced by Craig Counsell when the Brewers took the field for the fourth inning.

Weeks is 0-for-4 in the series against Philadelphia. Weeks also had an error in the first game, dropping a routine throw while covering first base.