Cliff Lee throws another complete game... he doesn't allow an earned run.

Chase Utley homers twice... off previously playoff-unbeaten CC Sabathia (who had been talked up as if he was the best pitcher since Walter Johnson by the homerish New York media).

The Phils tacked on four runs in the final two innings to make Charlie Manuel breathe a little easier and get the 50,207 people out of Yankee Stadium a little faster.

With that, Game 1 of the World Series in the Bronx - in a series billed as the defending World Champs vs. Baseball's Most Highly Decorated Franchise - was really pretty easy for the Phillies.

After Utley's first home run, Phils fans had to feel good. After the second, they had to be worry-free, right?

The Phils sit in pretty good shape, up 1-0 in a best-of-seven series that begins on enemy territory. Win again Thursday night - with Pedro Martinez on the bump - and all your have to do is take two out of three at Citizens Bank Park this weekend.

Imagine a pain-free World Series victory over the New York Yankees that sets off a parade. OK, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

But beating Sabathia is a good start. The Phils are 3-0 now in their last three games against CC.


On to what some of the players said afterward....


CHASE UTLEY, on his second home run, the end of a workman-like, nine-pitch at-bat against Sabathia: "I remember he was pitching me tough. He was throwing sinkers in, he was throwing sliders. The approach I had, the approach I was going to try to have against him was to try to lay off the slider because the slider is a tough one to hit on the barrel, and try to hit his fastball, and I was able to do that. He left one kind of in the middle of the plate, and you can't miss those pitches against that type of pitcher."


CLIFF LEE, who has a playoff ERA of 0.54, on is there was a point at the game when he felt like it was going to end very well: "I don't know if there was a point where I was like, wow, this is it; I've got them. With a lineup like that, I don't think I ever really had that feeling. But I knew when the first three or four innings that it was going to be a good day. I didn't know that I was going to be a complete game and go the way it was, but I knew that I had my stuff and was locating pitches.

"But with an offense like that, you can feel that way and make a couple mistakes, and it's going to turn south for you quick. I try not to think like that. I try not to think, wow, I've got this figured out, because usually when you start thinking you've got something figured out, it's going to blow up in your face. So I try to stay away from those kind of thoughts."


RYAN HOWARD, who picked up yet another playoff RBI with a ninth-inning double, on Chase Utley leading the offensive charge: "We don’t count on just one person. On any given night, that’s a the good thing we have different guys who can step up in different moments and tonight Chase was able to step up."


LEE, on whether he would pitch on short rest in Game 4: "That’s more of a question for Charlie (Manuel). I’m ready to pitch whenever they’ll let me."