Phillies Upset Dodgers to Take Game 1 2009 NLCS: Over the last few seasons, the team with home-field advantage has gone on to lose the National League Championship Series, most of the time. That seemed like a prophecy in last night’s Game 1 of the 2009 NLCS, as the Phillies took Game 1 against the Dodgers in shocking fashion.
Going into the 2009 NLCS opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers were listed as not only the sports betting odds favorites to take Game 1, but also the odds-on favorites to win the series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Also, 
the OVER/UNDER for Game 1 of the 2009 NLCS had been set at a combined total of 7½ runs but that was also shattered, as it became a slugfest with both clubs putting up 14 runs on the board.
For the Dodgers, 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw (L, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 9.64 ERA) was cruising right along with a 1-0 lead until he got to the fifth inning. "I really don't have an answer for it," Kershaw said. "I wish I knew. I didn't throw enough strikes and didn't get the job done. I lost my command and it just kind of skyrocketed on me."
The Phillies secret weapon, catcher Carlos Ruiz belted a 3-run blast that put the visitors ahead and the young lefty never recovered from it, as his control deserted him at the worse possible time. “You can pitch yourself into bad positions when you’re trying to be perfect because of how tough our lineup is,” Game 1 winner Cole Hamels (W, 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 6.75 ERA) said. “We’re looking for the one pitch you make a mistake on.”
After the Dodgers battled back to pull within a run, reliever George Sherrill allowed a 3-run shot to Raul Ibanez in the 8th inning, which proved to be enough to hold off Los Angeles. The best bullpen in baseball failed to give its team a chance to win the ballgame. "I think that was a shock for everybody," manager Joe Torre said of Sherrill. "But he'll get the ball tomorrow in the eighth inning. It's just one of those things."
