(Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Game 1 got off to a promising start when Chase Utley smashed a two-run shot with one out into the right field bleachers at Made From Concentrate Field. Little did we know at the time how important those runs would be later.

Cole Hamels did exactly what we needed him to do: He went mano a mano with Scott Kazmir and emerged with the victory. Madsen and Lidge did sterling work locking down the Tampa Bay offense with a precarious lead going into the eighth and ninth innings.

As for the offense — well, aside from Utley, Werth, Victorino and Feliz, they stunk. WAY too many runners stranded in scoring position, which has been their Achilles’ heel since the first George W. Bush administration.

Rollins’ last two at-bats went surprisingly in the same fashion: Stare at strike one, stare at strike two, swing and miss ball one. Howard looked lost at the plate, as did Burrell. As a designated hitter, Chris Coste had as many hits as I did sitting on my ass watching the game on TV, leaving five runners stranded all by his lonesome.

Burrell, Utley and Howard were responsible for 7 of the Phillies’ 9 strikeouts on the evening. That trend won’t get you far in a best-of-seven series. Regardless, the Phillies won. Time and time again today on various sports-talk radio programs throughout the Delaware Valley, we were reminded that Hamels had to — repeat, HAD TO — win this game, or we were looking at an uphill climb with Myers as our Game 2 stopper.

Other notes from tonight:

• Victorino trying to score after Rollins’ pop fly to shallow center field. Bad decision, and one that could have come back to haunt the Fightin’s later. We know you’re fast, brah, but don’t let your head write a check your legs can’t cash, OK?
• Was it me or did Fox … losing their sound … pissed me off … smashed a tree … until the handle broke off … fucking broadcast … all goddamn night …
• Hamels’ throw to first in the sixth inning: Balk? Not a balk? Discuss.
• Great catch by Ryan Howard in the stands in the fifth inning. If I saw Howard barreling toward me with his attention fixed elsewhere, I’d get the hell out of the way, too.
• Howard’s aforementioned catch almost made up for the two defensive screw-ups he had on what should have been easy outs. Almost.
• Grant Balfour… God DAMN, can he throw a mean fastball.
• I already hate those stupid fucking cowbells. Now I know what had Red Sox fans so irritated. Bruce Dickinson would be very disappointed in the Tampa Bay fans right now. They’re not even trying to explore the space.
• I didn’t actually watch the Backstreet Boys sing the National Anthem, but I like to think it went something… like this:

Well, that’s it for now. The Phillies took the first game of the series in either league’s toughest field for a visiting team to win in. Myers takes the hill for Game 2. Something tells me the Rays won’t let Philly come back to the Bank up two games to none, but that all depends on which Brett Myers shows up tonight.

(That makes me think: In an alternate universe, would “Evil” Brett Myers be clean-shaven?)

I’m Chamomiles Davis, and I approve this message.

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