Phillies draw first blood

Chase Utley hit a two-run homer and Pat Burrell added a solo blast in the sixth inning to help the Philadelphia Phillies fight back from two runs down to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in Game One of the National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park.

Cole Hamels pitched seven strong innings for Philadelphia, who picked up their first win in an NLCS game since 1993.

Trailing 2-0 entering the sixth, Shane Victorino led off the frame with a grounder to shortstop. Rafael Furcal fielded the ball but rushed the throw, allowing Victorino to advance to second on the error.

Utley was next up and cracked the first pitch from Derek Lowe into the right-centre field bleachers to tie the game.

After Ryan Howard grounded to third, Burrell worked the count in his favour before depositing a 3-1 fastball into the stands in left to give Philadelphia the lead.

Hamels allowed an RBI double by Manny Ramirez in the first and a sacrifice fly by Blake DeWitt in the fourth. The 24-year-old left-hander was charged with six hits while walking two and striking out eight.

Lowe cruised through the first five innings, using his trademarksinker to record 12 groundouts against two flyouts before leaving fastballs up in the zone to Utley and Burrell.

He was charged with two earned runs and six hits while walking one and striking out two.

Ryan Madson tossed a scoreless eighth and Brad Lidge set down the side in order in the ninth to earn the save. Lidge has yet to blow a save or suffer a loss this season.

The Dodgers got on the board in the first when Andre Ethier hit a one-out double and came around to score on Ramirez's two-base hit.

Ramirez drove an 0-1 fastball from Hamels to the deepest part of the ballpark, hitting a clear panel above a high wall in left-centre field.

Matt Kemp led off the fourth with a ground-rule double and moved to third on a groundout before DeWitt brought him home with a flyout to centre.