Game 1 actually was more about the Dodgers than the Cubs, from Loney's two-out, two-strike blast to Derek Lowe's six-inning quality start to Manny Ramirez's home run off his shoetops against Cubs reliever Sean Marshall.

Of course, that's not the way it will play in Chicago.

Any moment now, if not sooner, Cubs fans will start moaning about their rotten luck. The Cubs would have been better off facing the Mets, but drew the Dodgers when the Brewers won the wild card. I can hear it now: The Cubs should have played harder on the final weekend, when they lost two of three to the Brew Crew.

Which brings us to the Dodgers, who are something of a ringer in this tournament — not the same team they were three months ago, not even the same team they were three weeks ago.

The arrival of Ramirez — and, to a lesser extent, Casey Blake — reduced the pressure and increased the opportunities for younger hitters such as Loney.

The return of leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal, who went 0-for-3 drew two walks and scored a run in Game 1, has further bolstered the lineup.

And Lowe, just in time for his re-entrance into the free-agent market, has emerged as the hottest pitcher in baseball.

The Braves, sources say, are hot for Lowe. But then, so are about oh,25 other teams. As one rival executive said Wednesday, "Who shouldn't be on him? If (Kyle) Lohse is going to get what he did ($41 million for four years from the Cardinals), what is this guy going to get?"

Quite a bit — Lowe, including his performance in Game 1, is 6-1 with a1.13 ERA in his last nine regular-season starts. He's 35, significantly older than two other prominent free-agent starting pitchers — A.J. Burnett, 31, and CC Sabathia, 28. But he has averaged 208 innings over the past seven seasons, going 106-75 with a 3.79 ERA.

The Dodgers can bring Lowe back on three days rest for Game 4 or save him for Game 5 at Wrigley, if necessary. Either way, they would be in excellent shape — better shape than the Cubs or their fans ever imagined.

No question about it: Phils used Hamels perfectly

Let's not hear any second-guessing about how Phillies manager Charlie Manuel should have sent Cole Hamels back out for the ninth inning in Game 1 of the Division Series after the left-hander had thrown 101 pitches.

Hamels did his job, pitching eight shutout innings, and neither he nor Manuel is to blame for what happened next — closer Brad Lidge needing 35 pitches to close out the Brewers, possibly leaving him depleted him for Game 2 on Thursday.

The Phillies handled Hamels with care all season, allowing him to throw 120 or more pitches in only three of his 33 starts, and none since July 3. They might need Hamels on three days rest in Game 4 if they fall behind, two games to one. Against the top of the Brewers' order, the extra inning was just not worth the risk.

Yet, Hamels has not been fully appreciated in Philadelphia, a town that seemingly would prefer a macho, rugged flame-thrower to a physically fragile changeup artist from southern California.

It's time to put that silliness to rest.

Game 1 of the Division Series was practically a must-win for the Phillies, who knew that Sabathia was looming for the Brewers in Game 2. Hamels never blinked, allowing just two hits, striking out nine and walking one.

The Phillies gave Hamels as much rest as possible between starts during the regular season, even when it forced him to skip big series against the Mets. At times, their caution seemed extreme. But the team's approach was vindicated when Hamels worked a career-high 227 1/3 innings after appearing on the disabled list in each of the past four seasons.

After clinching the NL East last Saturday, the Phillies were able to scratch Hamels on Sunday, allowing him to start Game 1 on seven days rest.

He will pitch again in Game 4 or 5, if necessary — or in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.

End of discussion — Hamels is a true ace.