Phillies cruise past Yankees behind masterful Lee

NEW YORK - On Oct. 22, 2008, Chase Utley's power, combined with the brilliance of an ace pitcher, enabled the Phillies to open the World Series with a win.

In the year since, much has changed for the team. The Phils have lived for 12 months as defending champions, gaining in fame and self-assurance. But while the ace is different in 2009, and the Series opponent higher-profile, the script seemed familiar last night.

Cliff Lee, the Phils' coping mechanism for Cole Hamels' disappointing year, followed three dominant performances in the division series and National League Championship Series by outpitching his good friend CC Sabathia last night. Lee allowed just one unearned run while pitching a complete game, and the Phils defeated the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 105th World Series, 6-1.

"This is the stage I've wanted to get to since I was a little kid," Lee said. "Now that I'm here, there's no sense in being nervous and worried."

The lefthander also played sharp defense, snagging one pop-up with a basket catch while standing comically still, and later snaring a hard shot behind his back.

"That was pretty cool," a smiling Lee said of the basket catch.

"He was trying to pull a Willie Mays on us or something," said manager Charlie Manuel.

Utley, who hit a first-inning home run to open the Series against Tampa Bay last year in a game that Hamels controlled, hit two solo homers off Sabathia last night.

"My approach was trying to make him work a little bit," Utley said. "I was trying to hit the fastball."

The Phillies did not solve Sabathia immediately. Jimmy Rollins attempted to surprise his fellow Bay Area native by bunting the first pitch of the series.

Had Rollins known that he would push the bunt toward first base and be tagged out, and had he seen the trouble Sabathia would encounter throwing strikes later in the inning, he may have made a different decision. It did not begin immediately: Shane Victorino followed Rollins with a pop-up, and Sabathia appeared ready to breeze through the first.

But Utley drew a walk, and Ryan Howard moved him to third by doubling to the right-field corner. Jayson Werth walked to load the bases, and Sabathia went to a 3-1 count on Raul Ibanez. Ibanez bounced to second, stranding three runners, but Sabathia threw 25 pitches, and just 12 strikes, in a difficult inning.