Utley, who attended the Dodgers' last World Series in 1988, didn't let Lowe regain his composure. He pounced on a first pitch fastball, hitting it into the right-field seats, tying the game at 2-2 and sending 45,839 fans into a frenzy at Citizens Bank Park.

"They have been pitching us tough, trying to not let us do too much damage," Utley said. "That's the game plan for a lot of teams, but we have eight guys, sometimes nine, that can swing the bats."

Two batters later, Pat Burrell hit his third postseason homer in the past two games. And that was the end of Lowe, who lost his first game to the Phillies in seven years, and only his second in the last 12 starts.

"He felt fine," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of Lowe. "Sometimes, you get some misguided pitches and they stay up instead of where they should be."

A lower back injury nearly sidelined Burrell in the first round against Milwaukee, and he almost got benched after going 0-for-8 in the first three games. But manager Charlie Manuel kept Burrell in the lineup, and he responded with two homers and four RBI in the clinching win over the Brewers.

"Right now he's staying back behind the ball and driving the ball," Manuel said.

Manny Ramirez hit an RBI double off the center-field wall in the first, but otherwise he and the Dodgers lineup were held in check by Hamels, Ryan Madson and closer Brad Lidge, who pitched a perfect ninth.

Game 2 is Friday in Philadelphia, with Phillies right-hander Brett Myers facing Dodgers righty Chad Billingsley.

Utley struggled in the division series against Milwaukee, hitting .133 with one extra-base, hit but erased those memories with one swing. He would have been a Dodger if he had accepted their offer when drafted in 1997 instead of attending UCLA.

"It was a difficult decision," Utley said. "The money was there, but for me, it was about growing as a person."

The Phillies may forever be grateful.

Source::bbc.com