Hamels, making his second career postseason start Wednesday in the opener of the National League Division Series, gave a vintage performance, one worthy of his status as the Phillies' ace. Hamels yielded only two hits and a walk, allowed only one runner to reach second base and struck out nine in eight innings.

And the Phillies defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 in the rain before 45,929 white towel-waving fans, the second-largest crowd in the five-year history of Citizens Bank Park.

It marked the Phils' first postseason victory since Oct. 21, 1993, Game 5 of the World Series.

Nearly a year earlier to the day, Hamels started Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Colorado Rockies and allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-2 loss. After that game, he admitted that wearing long sleeves caused him to perspire and affected his grip on the ball during the Rockies' three-run second inning.

This year, Hamels didn't need any excuses.

Quite simply, he was marvelous.

"I knew the importance of the game," Hamels said. "It's something where, because of last year, 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. You have to calm it down and try to take a step backwards. And I think that's what I was able to do and just take advantage of the excitement and the aggressiveness that the other team had."

After going 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA and logging a career-high 227 1/3 innings during the regular season, Hamels retired the first 14 batters before allowing a two-out single to right field by Corey Hart in the fifth inning. In the sixth, he escaped Craig Counsell's one-out single and a walk to Mike Cameron by striking out Bill Hall and getting slugging Ryan Braun to pop meekly to shortstop.

  PHILLIES 3, BREWERS 1: 2B Chase Utley's two-run double in the third inning gave the Phillies a lead in a Game 1 victory in the NL Division Series at Citizens Bank Park. Cole Hamels tossed eight scoreless innings before closer Brad Lidge bent but didn't break in the ninth. The Phillies mustered only four hits and one extra-base hit against Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo and four relievers. Hamels' nine strikeouts were the most by a Phillies pitcher in the postseason since Curt Schilling had 10 in Game 1 of the 1993 NL Championship Series.