The Brewers have been a popular opponent at Citizens Bank Park.

They were here for four games in September (a four-game sweep that help turn around the Phils season); they came back for the first two games of the divisional series in the playoffs (the Phils swept those games, too).

But the Brew Crew has a different look to them.

For one, there's no CC Sabathia. He followed the money train to the Bronx. Ben Sheets is also gone.

They've also had three different managers in each of their last trips to Philadelphia: Ned Yost in September, Dale Sveum in October and Ken Macha in April. That has to be some kind of record.

Yost, of course, was fired after the four-game sweep in September. Sveum, the interim manager, was replaced by former Oakland manager Macha after the season.

What else is interesting about Milwaukee's baseball team?

They've got some cold bats that might be ready to heat up. They've got a threesome of regulars hitting in the .100s.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy, who was on a tear this time last year, is hitting .114 with two home runs. Prince Fielder is hitting .175 with one home run and Jason Kendall is hitting .129.

Ryan Braun, who finished in the top five in NL MVP voting, isn't doing much better. He's hitting .222 with one home run and five RBIs.

Twenty minutes away from the start of this three-game series, here are my thoughts: the Brewers bats are due to break out... and the Phillies starting pitching (7.67 ERA, the worst in baseball) may be just what the doctor ordered for Milwaukee.