MILWAUKEE (AP) -Ben Sheets had tears in his eyes, hugging coaches and teammates goodbye.
The Milwaukee ace through so many terrible years says it seems certain he won't return after Sunday's 6-2 loss to Philadelphia, ending the Brewers' first playoff series since 1982.
``Right now I don't really see it happening, but you never know,'' said Sheets, who joined the Brewers after being an Olympic star in 2000 and became a four-time All-Star.
But in a cruel twist for the oft-injured Sheets, he couldn't pitch in the postseason because of a slight tear in a muscle near his elbow.
``There ain't no uncertainty about next season. I'm going to be fine in the long-term,'' said Sheets, who will be a free agent along with fellow ace CC Sabathia. ``Offseason is nothing but rest, and I need it.''
Sheets said he became the biggest cheerleader in a season 26 years in the making for the Brewers. After an improbable run for the NL wild card, it ended with a whimper on Sunday after four games.
``It was a wild ride, it was a fun ride,'' principal owner Mark Attanasio said. ``We have a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on here.''
The Brewers went 6-1 in the final week and needed every game to reach the postseason, but an offense that sputtered throughout September ground to a halt Sunday against the Phillies.
``For us to get back to this position and ultimately win in the postseason, we've got to find a way to do a little bit better job of manufacturing runs,'' said Ryan Braun, who hit .312 and drove in two of the Brewers' nine runs in the series.
Milwaukee picked apart Jamie Moyer on Saturday night for the franchise's first postseason win since 1982. But the Brewers only managed to stay calm through the first inning against Phillies starter Joe Blanton.
By the second, these Brewers were swinging away wildly, as they did when they hit .227 in September despite the late winning streak.
Milwaukee's hitting slump was even worse against Philadelphia in this series. The Brewers batted .206 overall.
``We live and die by the home run,'' interim manager Dale Sveum said. ``We've got to change that. We've got to start learning how to manufacture runs and do things and put the ball in play and have really, really good at_bats going into next season.''
Prince Fielder was hitless in his first 12 postseason at_bats until his homer led off the seventh. Braun added an RBI single in the eighth, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Milwaukee had a rocky road just to get to the postseason. After leading the NL wild-card chase by 5 1/2 games to start September, the Brewers lost 11 of the first 14.
Manager Ned Yost was fired on an off-day in Chicago after the team was swept in Philadelphia in the midst of a 2-8 road trip. Sveum took over with 12 games to go.
The Mets helped out Milwaukee, losing six of the final nine, allowing the Brewers to win the wild card on the final day.
``I'm very disappointed, but I'm very proud of these guys,'' Attanasio said. ``At the start of the season, if you said to anybody in this city - 90 wins, 3 million fans, playoffs, four games as the wild card - that's a success and everybody should feel good about that no matter how disappointed they are now.''
The final week, the Brewers were helped by key home runs - two by Braun and one by Fielder - that allowed Milwaukee mask its shortcomings. Sabathia led them down the stretch, pitching three times on three days' rest, and said money won't be his only consideration in free agency.
``I enjoyed my time here. We accomplished a lot. I'll sit back this offseason and make the best decision for me and my family,'' said Sabathia, who went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 games but lost Game 2. ``It's still stinging a little bit, losing the series, but I'll get home this winter and make the best decision.''
The hitting problems haunted the Brewers against a tough Phillies' rotation and Blanton thrived on the Brewers' free-swinging ways, striking out seven before tiring in the seventh.
It was the first time in 14 starts Blanton didn't issue a walk.
Not even Sabathia could help. He struck out on three pitches as a pinch-hitter in the third inning in what may be his last appearance in Milwaukee after a July 7 trade brought him from Cleveland. But his at-bat gave the fans one more chance to give him a standing ovation and acknowledge one of the best midseason trades in history.
``I was pretty excited that I got a chance to hit,'' Sabathia said. ``Who knows, maybe it's not my last appearance. We'll see.''
