Philadelphia Phillies Open World Series in Grand Fashion

"We have confidence. We know we have a good team."

--Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies' slugging secondbaseman, who hit two home runs to lead the way to victory in game one of the 2009 World Series. Utley set a major league postseason record by safely reaching base in his 26th straight game.

Utley also became the first left-handed batter to hit two home runs off a left-handed pitcher in a World Series game since Babe Ruth in 1928.

“I guess that’s pretty good,” Utley said. “But like I said, you try to take it game to game and keep working. So no, it doesn’t really matter that much.”

Pitcher Cliff Lee also contributed a pitching masterpiece.

"To be honest I really never have been nervous in the big leagues. This is what I wanted to do my whole life. This is what I take pride in. For me there is no reason to be nervous.

"Game time is the time go out there and have fun and let your skills take over. It's kind of weird. Boils down to confidence and trusting your teammates."

--Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, who opened the World Series with a six-hit, ten strikeout, 6-1 win over the New York Yankees.

FLOW

“What I call, he handles the flow of the game, if you know what I mean, everything about it,” Manager Charlie Manuel said. “Not only does he have command of the game, but he has the flow of the game. To me he sets the tone by his rhythm, getting the ball back, and he knows what he’s going to do and he knows what he’s going to throw. I like the way he pitches. I like everything about how he goes about it.”

Ryan Howard of the Phillies, the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player, also contributed with two doubles.

The Phillies have won 19 of their last 24 postseason games and the first game in six consecutive series. But, it is only one game in a seven game series.

"They're a great team," first baseman Howard said of the Yankees. "Believe me, we still have got a long ways to go."

The Yankees are already trying to put the game behind them.

"You think about tomorrow. You don't think about this game."

--Jorge Posada, Yankees' catcher said of the first game.

Excerpts USA Today, Yahoo.sports.com, the New York Times and Reuters, October 29, 2009.