The Milwaukee Brewers scored five runs in the sixth inning to beat Arizona 9-4 Sunday and take a two-games-to-none grip on their Major League Baseball playoff series. In Philadelphia, the Cardinals ensured the Phillies didn't get a similar stranglehold on the other best-of-five National League first-round series as they rallied for a 5-4 victory that knotted the series at one game apiece. Milwaukee's Ryan Braun hit a two-run home run and slugger Prince Fielder singled in a run for the Brewers, who are now one win away from taking the first-round series. Jonathan Lucroy's safety squeeze sparked Milwaukee's sixth-inning outburst, which came after Arizona relief pitcher Brad Ziegler was irked by a balk call. With the score 4-4 and runners at first and third with one out, Jerry Hairston took off from third for home as Lucroy bunted toward first base. “It's a free RBI if you execute and I really work hard to get that down,” Lucroy said of his bunt. “A safety squeeze, all you've got to do is get it down to the right area.” Ziegler couldn't get the ball to catcher Miguel Montero, and by the time the inning ended, Milwaukee led 9-4. Lucroy and Yuniesky Betancourt both advanced on Ziegler's wild throw. After Mark Kotsay was intentionally walked to load the bases, Corey Hart singled in a run. Nyjer Morgan drove in two more with a single and Braun — who had homered in the first — singled in one more to end Ziegler's day. Brewers starter Zack Greinke struggled in his first post-season appearance, giving up three home runs. But his woes did not prevent the Brewers from taking the first 2-0 playoff series lead in club history. They will try to complete the sweep in game three Tuesday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks had home runs from Paul Goldschmidt in the second, Chris Young in the fourth and Justin Upton in the fifth. “When you go on the road, you want to at least take one. If you don't, you've got to go home and defend your own turf,” Upton said, looking ahead to the next two games in Arizona. The Phillies don't face quite such a big task as they head to St. Louis for game three. But they'll have to rebound from a defeat in which ace pitcher Cliff Lee allowed five runs on a season-high 12 hits as the Phillies squandered a four-run lead. “I wasn't able to make my pitches, so I take full responsibility,” said Lee, who even had the luxury of a 3-0 Phillies lead after the first inning and a 4-0 lead after the second. The Cardinals scratched their way back, and took the lead in the seventh when Allen Craig led off with a triple off center fielder Shane Victorino's glove. St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols then lined a single over shortstop Jimmy Rollins to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead.
