Behind their top two arms, the Phils grabbed their first postseason win in 15 years - barely.
Hamels pitched eight brilliant innings, Lidge escaped a ninth-inning jam and Philadelphia took advantage of Mike Cameron’s miscue in center field for a 3-1 win over Milwaukee in their National League Division Series opener Wednesday.
Chase Utley’s two-run double slipped out of Cameron’s glove in the third, helping the Phillies take a 3-0 lead. Lidge allowed a run in the ninth but struck out Corey Hart with runners at second and third to end it.
“I can’t let him get a hit there,” said Lidge, 41-for-41 in save chances this season. “I’ve always been a strikeout pitcher and that’s what I wanted to do.”
Game 2 in the best-of-five series is today, with ace CC Sabathia going to the mound for the wild-card Brewers on three days of rest for the fourth consecutive start. Brett Myers will pitch for the Phillies.
It’ll be tough for anyone to match Hamels’ superb performance. The 24-year-old left-hander retired the first 14 batters, allowed only two hits and struck out nine batters.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel considered sending Hamels out to start the ninth but decided to go with Lidge. The Brewers got the tying run to the plate, but Prince Fielder fanned for the second out. After J.J. Hardy walked to put two runners on, they advanced on a wild pitch. Then Hart struck out swinging to end it.
“Not too many times you can say you’re happy to see Lidge, but we didn’t hit the ball hard off Hamels all day,” Brewers manager Dale Sveum said.
Hamels baffled the fastball-hitting Brewers with his dazzling changeup, helping the Phillies earn their first postseason win since the 1993 World Series against Toronto.
The NL East champions were swept out of the first round by the Colorado Rockies last year. Hamels lost the opener of that series but didn’t have any jitters this time around.
“I learned what it really takes in trying to kind of mellow out, not have that sort of excitement where you can’t really control everything,” he said.
Making his second start since returning from knee surgery, Milwaukee righty Yovani Gallardo got rattled after his defense fell apart in the third.
Gallardo, 22, allowed three unearned runs and three hits in four innings, walking five.
Carlos Ruiz started Philadelphia’s third with a single. Hamels bunted hard to third baseman Bill Hall, who bobbled the ball, costing him a chance to get Ruiz at second. Second baseman Rickie Weeks dropped Hall’s throw to first for an error.
With two outs, Utley ripped a liner through a swirling wind to center. Cameron - a three-time Gold Glove winner - took a poor route, raced back and reached up for a backhanded catch, only to have the ball bounce out of his glove. Both runners scored on Utley’s double for a 2-0 lead.
