Oct. 10 -- GAME 1: PHILLIES 3, DODGERS 2

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, I have this old friend who grew up rooting for the Phillies. He's 34 years old and probably doesn't have the most vivid memories of 1980. But he attended last night's game, and I don't think he'd mind me telling you that, once it was over, he sent me a text message that read, "Nothing can spoil this. Phils in 6."

He believes.

Do you?

After last night, it's difficult not to. For five innings, Dodgers ace Derek Lowe mowed down the Phillies' offense, killing ants on the infield by using his patened sinker to get 10 -- count 'em, 10 -- ground-ball outs. The Dodgers built a 2-0 lead against Cole Hamels, while the Phillies mustered only four hits.

But Jimmy Rollins believed.

"We didn't have anything on the scoreboard, but in the dugout, we knew we were close," he said later. "You just know. You see. Guys are making adjustments. You just know it's only a matter of time."

Sure enough, speedy Shane Victorino opened the sixth by reaching on a throwing error by Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal. Chase Utley belted a game-tying, two-run homer to right field, and two batters later, Pat Burrell followed with a line-drive solo shot to left.

3-2, Phillies. Just like that.

On an unseasonably warm night that felt more like spring, Utley and Burrell, Messrs. April for the Phillies, hit two home runs in a span of three batters against Lowe, who had given up two homers to the previous 286 batters he'd faced. Think about that for a moment. To me, though, the biggest moment of the game came in the eighth. With one out and the bases empty, Manny Ramirez stepped to the plate against Ryan Madson. Charlie Manuel jogged to the mound for some last-minute strategizing, and although Madson wouldn't admit it to me afterward, his heart had to be pounding through his chest. Keep the ball down, Manuel said. Down and away. That's the strategy against Ramirez.

All it took was one pitch, a diving changeup, and Ramirez hit a soft line drive to third baseman Pedro Feliz.

Whew.

"I wanted to make sure we knew how to pitch him and what we wanted to do," Manuel said. "I definitely didn't want to say nothing negative, but at the same time, I wanted to reinforce how we wanted to pitch him. Manny was the tying run. he wasn't the winning run."

After that, it was a formality, as it almost always is when Mr. Perfect, closer Brad Lidge comes into the game. Lidge pitched a scoreless ninth, as usual, and the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. In the stands, fans didn't want to leave. They hung out for several minutes, laughing and screaming and embracing and, if you're my old friend from college, texting. Nobody wanted to leave the party.

So, do you believe?

***
Wall-to-wall coverage in today's News Journal. I'm told that not every story made every edition of The Paper, depending on where you live. Luckily, though, we have the Internet, so here's a roundup of our coverage:

-Martin Frank writes that the Phillies seemed entitled to win Game 1.
-Kevin Roberts tells us how Utley and Burrell came through in the clutch.
-Kevin Noonan says that Cole Hamels is earning his stripes as an ace.
-Nothing motivates in the playoffs quite like a salary drive.
-Within the notebook, Brett Myers talks hitting, who's on third and more.
-Several Phillies are Southern California natives with Dodgers memories.
-Manuel tells some amusing stories about former Dodgers manager Walter Alston.
-The Phillies have several unsung heroes.
-Re-live Game 1 by checking out an online photo gallery.