PHILADELPHIA -- In the first two games of the National League Division Series, the Brewers have managed to score just three runs on seven hits.

The lackluster effort is nothing new; the Brewers have struggled offensively all month, averaging just a National League-worst 3.46 runs on 7.25 hits since Sept. 1. They're hitting just .219 with a .356 slugging percentage, also at the bottom among NL teams.

The Brewers were able to cover up their faltering offense in the final days of the regular season thanks to some clutch pitching performances that left the offense in a position for big, late inning home runs by Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

Compare those numbers to the .265 batting average the team posted from May 20 through Aug. 31, when the Brewers were among the hottest teams in baseball with a 60-32 record and built a 5½-game lead for the Wild Card before the bats went silent.

"We've got to swing the bats a little better than we have," said interim manager Dale Sveum. "It's not a mystery. We haven't really swung the bats that well for the last month. We've had some big home runs to get us to this point. But on a whole we're still not getting enough men on base to do a lot of damage."

The only hitter that was having any sort of success in September was Prince Fielder. He hit safely in 17 games heading into the season's final day. He hit .409 with six homers and 19 RBIs during the streak, but is hitless in seven at-bats with three strikeouts so far in the playoffs.

Sveum scoffed at the idea that Fielder is struggling.

"To single him out is kind of ridiculous," Sveum said. "Nobody's really swung the bat that good for a whole month. Prince was hotter than hell for two weeks and now he's cooled off a little bit. But Prince can turn it on like that and obviously he knows that and we're going to need that when we get home."

With their backs against the wall, Sveum is hoping a return to Milwaukee for Games 3 and - possibly 4 -- will help rekindle the spark in otherwise stagnant bats.

"We've really got to get home and figure the bats out," Sveum said.

Hart's struggles continue: Nobody has had a rougher time the last few weeks than right fielder Corey Hart.

Voted onto his first All-Star team back in July, but has been sputtering ever since. He hit .289 (102 for 357) before the break and was the Brewers' lone consistent offense threat in the first half.

Since the All Star Game, though, his average has dropped more than 50 points. Unfortunately, there isn't another option available.

With Gabe Kapler injured, Sveum hasn't been able to give Hart a day off since September 10, when the Brewers played host to Cincinnati. He's been downright atrocious since then, hitting .159 (11 for 69).

A year ago, Hart was one of the Brewers' hottest hitters, batting .330 (34 for 103) with 10 doubles, two triples, six homers and 20 RBIs. He scored 22 times as the team went 16-12. This year, he was just 17 for 98 (.173) in September with five doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs as the Brewers went 9-16.

Hart's patience at the plate has diminished as his numbers went south. He's become more aggressive at the plate and frequently gets into trouble when he swings at the first pitch. Thursday against the Phillies, he swung at Brett Myers' first offering and ended a bases-loaded threat in the first inning with a double play back to the pitcher.

"I'm not going to sit there and walk," Hart said. "I'll eventually find it, and hopefully we'll still be in it."

Power outage: Heading into the season, the Brewers were feared by opposing pitchers for their ability to hit home runs.

They've hit a lot this season, but they've come in spurts. Milwaukee has won only 16 times this season without hitting a home run.

Through the end of August, they were second in the league with 1.30 homers per game, but are averaging 0.75 since - the worst mark in the NL.

No brotherly love: Few teams have been more brutal to the Brewers than Philadelphia. The Phillies won five of the six regular season meetings between the two teams and the first two in the playoffs, outscoring Milwaukee, 41-19 in the process.

Including the playoffs, the Brewers are hitting just .184 against Philadelphia and hit .206 (39 for 189) during the regular season. The problems weren't limited to the lineup; Brewers pitchers have been hit hard, allowing 37 earned runs in 66 innings.

Suppan likely in Game 4: Sveum has yet to say it publicly, but it's likely that Jeff Suppan will start for the Brewers in a potential fourth game.

When he was signed to a $42 million contract before the 2007 season, it was in large part because of his success in the playoffs while a member of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

He's a much better pitcher on the road in the postseason, going 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA. Opponents have hit just .140 against him in their home parks. In home playoff games, Suppan is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA.

Time set for Game 4: Should the Brewers win Saturday, forcing a fourth game in the series, it will be played Sunday afternoon at Miller Park. First pitch in that game will be at 1 p.m., putting the Brewers up against the Packers, who host the Atlanta Falcons at noon.