(My Sportsbook) - For the first time in more than a quarter-century, the Milwaukee Brewers will be entering a season off a playoff appearance from the previous year. However, the team will be missing a few key players who helped accomplish that long-awaited feat.

With their top two starting pitchers no longer around, the re-tooled Brewers will begin their 2009 campaign this afternoon against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants.

Milwaukee used a dominating second-half run by midseason acquisition CC Sabathia and a heavy-hitting offense to capture the NL Wild Card with a 90-72 record, ending a 26-year postseason drought for the franchise. But Sabathia, who went 11-2 with a sensational 1.65 earned run average in 17 regular-season starts following his trade from Cleveland to the Brewers, is now a member of the New York Yankees after signing a lucrative free-agent contract in December.

The Brewers also no longer have four-time All-Star Ben Sheets, a 13-game winner last year, after not electing to re-sign the brittle hurler at season's end. The team did bring in legendary closer Trevor Hoffman, baseball's all- time saves leader, through free agency, but the 41-year-old will start the season on the disabled list with a strained oblique.

Milwaukee still has its stars in place on offense, where left fielder Ryan Braun and first baseman Prince Fielder headline a unit that ranked third in the NL with 198 home runs in 2008.

The Brewers' powerful lineup will face quite a challenge in this afternoon's opener of a three-game series from the dynamic Lincecum, who delivered a dominating sophomore season that earned the 24-year-old the league's top pitcher honor. The hard-throwing right-hander amassed an 18-5 record in 34 games (33 starts), led the majors with 265 strikeouts, and finished second in the NL in wins and earned run average (2.62).

Lincecum, who posted an 8-3 record with a 3.05 ERA in 16 starts at AT&T Park last season, did not face the Brewers in either of his first two years in the big leagues.

The 2008 All-Star's performance was one of the few bright spots for San Francisco last season, as Bruce Bochy's squad ended up in fourth place in the NL West with a 72-90 record. It was the fourth consecutive losing campaign for the Giants.

A lack of offense was San Francisco's primary culprit, as the team finished dead last in the majors with 94 home runs and its 640 runs scored was the second-lowest total in the NL.

The Giants will take their swings in the opener against Jeff Suppan, who will be vying to improve on a mediocre 2008 season. The journeyman right-hander compiled a 10-10 record with a 4.96 ERA over 31 starts and did not register a victory over his final six outings, including the playoffs.

Suppan, who did not face the Giants last season, started three consecutive Opening Days while a member of the Kansas City Royals from 2000-02. He did not fare well in those assignments, posting a loss and two no-decisions while pitching to a 7.31 ERA.

The 34-year-old is 3-4 with a 4.99 ERA over eight lifetime starts against San Francisco. In his only previous appearance at AT&T Park, Suppan tossed 6 1/3 innings of three-run ball to defeat the Giants on July 10, 2005. He was with the St. Louis Cardinals at the time.

Milwaukee dominated last year's season series between these teams, winning all six matchups and outscoring the Giants by a whopping 49-18 margin.