* Cole Hamels. Can the slender lefthander channel his magical 2008 postseason, when he was voted Most Valuable Player of both the NLCS and World Series, and give the Phillies a huge 2-0 advantage going into Coors Field? Or will he exhibit the inconsistency that resulted in a 10-11 record and a 4.32 earned run average during the regular season, allowing the Rockies to open with a split on the road and take the home-field advantage?
* Phillies' bullpen. The hottest topic of the postseason was whether injuries to J.C. Romero and Chan Ho Park and Brad Lidge's season-long struggles would be the undoing of the defending world champions. The largest crowd in Citizens Bank Park history never got a chance to find out because of a big lead and Lee's dominance. But stay tuned.
* The wind. Blowing from left to right, it stretched the flags and played havoc with balls hit in the air. None were muffed, though. "Between the wind and the sun, it was probably the toughest day defensively in Philly that I've seen," Jayson Werth said. "I actually talked to [Rockies rightfielder] Brad Hawpe in passing out there and we were just shaking our heads at how tough rightfield was today."
* Chase Utley. The Phillies second baseman broke an 0-for-18 slump with a leadoff single in the sixth. That led to a three-run outburst that gave the Phillies a comfortable margin and knocked Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez out of the game.
