Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez hits an RBI single during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Credit: Reuters

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Philadelphia — When the Milwaukee Brewers broke camp in Phoenix and headed north to begin the season, expectations from the outside world were, to be kind, not so great.

Inside the Brewers' clubhouse, the feeling couldn't have been more different.

"We're not surprised by our start," said outfielder Logan Schafer. "We know how good we are.

"We are so confident in ourselves and our abilities and what we have in the clubhouse, that what other people are saying around the baseball world doesn't really affect us. We're playing the game the right way and having fun doing it, and putting 'W's' on the board."

The Brewers put their fifth consecutive "W" on the board on this trip Wednesday night by rallying for five late runs and a 9-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

After getting through the first six games of the season primarily with stellar pitching, the Brewers have broken out the lumber against the Phillies with 27 hits, including 13 for extra bases.

"We're just getting hit after hit. Every time I come up I have guys on base," said first baseman Mark Reynolds, the No. 7 hitter who put a capper on the Brewers' scoring with a two-run homer in the ninth.

"Everybody is swinging well right now. It's fun to be a part of."

It was a night for the hitters to pick up some slack with starter Matt Garza struggling through six innings, including a whacky first in which the Phillies scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Garza allowed eight hits and two walks and balked in a run but kept the game from getting out of hand until his offense came to the rescue.

"I couldn't really find a groove," said Garza, who was pitching on six days of rest because of two off days on the schedule. "I kind of fought myself for six (innings). I was just happy to keep us in there.

"You just control it the best you can and go from there. I had to find a way to get through it and we got a 'W.' That's all that matters."

The game was tied, 4-4, in the eighth when the Brewers broke through for three runs to go on top for good. Ryan Braun, who had struck out in three consecutive at-bats after his three-homer game on Tuesday, mashed a two-run triple to center to cap that rally.

But it was Schafer, a late-inning substitute off the bench, who snapped the deadlock after Reynolds led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on Scooter Gennett's sacrifice. Schafer yanked a ball past first baseman Ryan Howard that bounded down the line and was ruled a run-scoring error.

Manager Ron Roenicke was livid after the game that an error was charged to Howard instead of crediting Schafer with a double, openly questioning how the official scorer could make such a call.

"The Schafer ball was ridiculous," said Roenicke. "Is this the way this guy is or what? Something needs to be done about it."

The bottom of the first inning featured a bit of history as Roenicke issued his first replay challenge and was rewarded for doing so. Ben Revere led off with a single and Jimmy Rollins hit a comebacker to Garza for what should have been an easy double play. Garza, who has a history of problems throwing to bases, lobbed a ball to Segura that took him off the base.

Segura recovered in time to tag Revere, but umpire Adrian Johnson called him safe. Roenicke issued his first challenge of the season and the call was overturned on replay, giving the Brewers the out at second.

"'Seggy' gave me a sign and said he got him," said Roenicke. "That makes me make sure that I get out there and we look at that well.

"We played a sloppy first inning. That could have gone a lot different, starting with the ball back to Matt. If we get a throw to second, we turn two for him and it changes everything. Beside that, it was a really good game."

THREE OF A KIND

On Tuesday against Philadelphia, Ryan Braun became the fifth Brewer with multiple three-homer games. The others to accomplish that were Ben Oglivie, Geoff Jenkins, Jeromy Burnitz and Richie Sexson.