MILWAUKEE (AP) ― The barbs already were flying. Come Sunday, the Milwaukee Brewers bashed the St. Louis Cardinals with their bats.

Needing a rally in the NL championship series opener, Milwaukee turned to its power duo of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, then got a clutch hit from Yuniesky Betancourt to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-6.

Braun launched a two-run, 463-foot homer in the first inning and added a two-run double during a six-run burst in the fifth. Fielder hit a two-run homer and the typically light-hitting Betancourt added a two-run homer to cap the big comeback.

At least for one game, the bitter NL Central rivals avoided any on-field confrontations in their first postseason matchup since the 1982 World Series.

That’s despite an already tense atmosphere that gained some steam when Brewers starter Zack Greinke let it slip on Saturday that some of his teammates don’t like the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter ― a comment that drew a stern rebuke from Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

The atmosphere was tense even before the first pitch, as La Russa was showered with boos during pregame introductions. He calmly tipped his cap to the crowd. 

ALCS postponed

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― The Detroit Tigers are wet and wounded.

After Game 2 of the AL championship series in Texas was postponed Sunday because of more rain in the forecast, manager Jim Leyland said the Tigers have lost their second starting outfielder for the series.

Magglio Ordonez is out for the rest of the season after he re-fractured his right ankle, which was surgically repaired in July 2010. He had missed more than a month this summer because of problems with that ankle, then came out of the twice-interrupted ALCS opener.