PHILADELPHIA – Most of the attention leading up to the NLDS between the Phillies and Brewers has been on Milwaukee pitcher CC Sabathia.
But it was another left-hander who stole the show in Game 1.
Phillies lefty Cole Hamels pitched eight strong innings, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out nine in the 3-1 victory to give Philadelphia its first postseason victory in 15 years and a 1-0 series lead.
Hamels came out firing in a game played through a steady rain. The 24-year-old retired the first 14 batters he faced, remaining perfect until a fifth-inning single by Corey Hart.
“I think with the type of team that Milwaukee brings, they’re very aggressive but also very good,” Hamels said. “And so I just had to really establish the first pitch strike just so I can get ahead of them and slow them down. And that’s what I was able to do and have success at it.”
The Citizens Bank Park crowd of 45,929 could not relax until the final out, though, thanks to a shaky ninth from closer Brad Lidge. Milwaukee scored its run on Lidge in the ninth and had runners on second and third when Lidge, who was 41-for-41 in save chances in the regular season, struck out Hart to end the game.
“I thought I was going to have to buy everyone some Pepto – you know, to cure the heartburn,” Lidge said.
Philadelphia’s fearsome lineup was kept quiet most of the day. The Phillies broke through in the third inning, but Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo was not totally at fault. The Brewers’ defense did them in during the inning.
Hamels reached first on a Rickie Weeks error that put runners on first and second. With two outs, Chase Utley hit a fly ball to deep center field that former Met Mike Cameron appeared to have, but the ball popped out of his glove and two runs scored. They made it 3-0 on a bases-loaded walk by Gallardo.
“I thought I had it,” Cameron said. “It was a tough play because I was playing a little bit on the other side of second base and the wind was doing god knows what out there. I cut across and it was going to go down, but it kept rising. When I jumped and landed, that’s when it came out.”
Yesterday was the first postseason win for the Philllies since Game 5 of the 1993 World Series. Colorado swept them last year in the NLDS.
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Sabathia said before the game he has given no thought to his pending free agency. He is expected to be a target of the Yankees and possibly the Mets.
“I’m in the middle of a playoff race and trying to win a championship,” Sabathia said. “It’s something I think I’d be taking away from my team and the organization if I was to be selfish and think about what’s coming up for me next.”
brian.costello@
nypost.com
