Chase Utley hit a tying two-run homer and Pat Burrell added a solo shot off Derek Lowe in a three-run sixth inning, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 3-2 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NL championship series. Lowe allowed only four hits - all singles - until the sixth, and had a 2-0 lead on Manny Ramirez's RBI double in the first off Cole Hamels and Blake DeWitt's sacrifice fly in the fourth. Shane Victorino reached second leading off the sixth inning on a throwing error by shortstop Rafael Furcal, and Utley homered to right on the next pitch, the ball landing in the right-center seats.

Utley, who hit a career-best 33 homers this season, was 5-for-28 in his postseason career before connecting off Lowe. He' 7-for-17 against Lowe with three doubles and one homer.

Lowe then fell behind and got in trouble. He threw two balls to Ryan Howard, who fouled off the next pitch and then grounded out. Lowe got behind 3-0 to Burrell, who took a pitch and hit the next offering a few rows deep into the left-field seats.

Burrell's drive set off fireworks and the lighting the giant replica Liberty Bell that hangs beyond the outfield stands. Burrell, who can become a free agent this offseason, doffed his cap during a curtain call.

That fastball was the last pitch thrown by Lowe, who allowed six hits in 5 1-3 innings.

The NL East champion Phillies played their first NLCS game since winning the pennant in Game 6 against Atlanta on Oct. 13, 1993. This was the first one at Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004.

The crowd of 45,839 yelled "Beat LA!" and twirled their red-and-white "Fightin' Phils" towels to set a feisty tone, and flashbulbs popped for Hamels' first pitch, a 90 mph ball to Furcal. Andre Ethier dug in next with chants of "Let's Go Phillies!" echoing throughout the park.

Ethier silenced the fans with a double. Then Ramirez doubled high off the center-field wall for a 1-0 lead - missing clearing the fence by a foot or two.

A walk and a passed ball put runners on second and third with two outs. Hamels escaped further damage and retired Matt Kemp on a fly to right to end the inning.

Hamels retired Ramirez on a pop up with a runner on first in the third inning. The Phillies' ace lefty pitched out of another jam with he struck out James Loney to end the inning and stranded two runners.

Kemp led off the fourth with a double that fell just inside the right-field line and bounced into the stands. He advanced to third on a ground out and scored on DeWitt's sacrifice fly.

Lowe, who hadn't lost to the Phillies since 2001, had a sharp sinker early. He got Jayson Werth to ground into only his third double play in two years and 786 plate appearances with the Phillies.

Hamels allowed two runs, six hits, struck out six and walked two through six innings.

Philadelphia is playing the Dodgers for the fourth time in its seven trips to the NLCS. The Dodgers won a best-of-five matchup in four games in 1977 and 1978. The '83 Phillies beat LA in four.

For a blast of Phillies' nostalgia, '83 NLCS MVP Gary Matthews and eight-time Gold Glove center fielder Garry Maddox threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The Phillies have won just one World Series championship in 126 years, in 1980, and the city hasn't celebrated a sports championship since the NBA's 76ers won the title in 1983.

The Phillie Phanatic sat on his four-wheeler and read a newspaper while the Dodgers trotted out to the third-base line for pregame introductions. But even the furry green mascot's beak perked up when former Phillies Gold Glove shortstop and manager Larry Bowa, now the Dodgers third-base coach, received a nice ovation.

The park was barely a quarter full an hour or so before the first pitch, but the red-clad fans all stood and booed the Dodgers as they jogged back to the dugout after batting practice.



Written By DAN GELSTON

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