Oct. 2 -- MYERS' TURN

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Brett Myers doesn't want to talk about the past.

That's perfectly understandable, I think, given the challenge he faces tonight. Myers will take the ball for the Phillies in Game 2 of the NL Division Series, and in his first career playoff start, he'll try to subdue the Brewers' offense and outpitch CC Sabathia.

Not an easy assignment.

But, to tell Myers' story, you have to look back, and that's precisely what my colleague Martin Frank did in The Paper today. Martin examined Myers' return to the rotation after spending most of last season as a closer and the immense struggles that he endured during the season's first half. John Smoltz made that transition, and since Smoltz is calling these games for TBS, Martin caught up with him to get his thoughts on Myers. (I know from experience that Smoltz thinks very highly of Myers.) By July, things had gotten so bad that Myers agreed to work out his problems in the minors, a move that Roy Halladay made in 2001. Back then, Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash was the Blue Jays' GM, and Martin tracked him down to talk about how going to the minors helped Halladay.

It's really a good story. Check it out, if you get a chance.

Anyway, Myers spent three weeks touring the Phils' farm system, and upon his return, he went 7-2 with a 1.80 ERA in 11 starts. The only pitcher with a better ERA during that post-All-Star break stretch: Sabathia. But Myers struggled in his final two starts, allowing 16 runs in 8-1/3 innings, all of which makes him a bit of an X-factor tonight.

So, what do you think? Will the good Myers show up, or will the teams head to Milwaukee with the series tied 1-1?

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After he made like Houdini and escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the ninth inning yesterday, Brad Lidge got some grief from Jimmy Rollins. But the Phillies won, so everyone was happy.

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Cole Hamels was at his very best. He was so good, in fact, that the Brewers actually were happy to see Lidge come into the game.

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Within the notebook, Pat Burrell tells us how his back felt after Game 1, and Ruben Amaro Jr. explains why Adam Eaton is watching the series from home.

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Also in The Paper today, Kevin Noonan writes about how the Phillies' offense scored without hitting a home run (hint: they got help from the Brewers' defense); Sabathia is ready for the Phillies; New Castle's Robin Bryson will watch tonight with the unique viewpoint of someone who was traded for Sabathia; the scene inside and outside the Bank was pretty wild.

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Want to re-live Game 1 in photos? Check out Ginger Wall's photo gallery.

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In CC, Milwaukee trusts. At least that's what folks in Wisconsin are saying.

More later from the Bank.