The Philadelphia Phillies won their first playoff game for 15 years on Wednesday, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 in the opener of their best-of-five National League division series.

Cole Hamels pitched eight shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters, while Chase Utley recorded a two-run double in the third to put the NL East champions in control at a rain-sodden Citizens Bank Park.

"I knew the importance of the game," Hamels told reporters after bemusing the Brewers with his dazzling changeup. "With the type of team that Milwaukee brings, they're very aggressive but also very good.

"And so I just had to really establish the first pitch strike so I can get ahead of them and slow them down. And that's what I was able to do and have success at it."

Utley smacked a two-run double over Mike Cameron's reach to send the Phillies into a 3-0 lead and Brad Lidge allowed a run in the ninth before striking out Corey Hart to wrap up the win.

Left-hander Hamels said he had been happy to let Lidge pitch in the ninth inning.

"I have all the confidence in the world in Lidge," he added.

"It was something where I knew if I could get through the eighth, I knew Lidge could seal the deal. That's something where I wanted to get him a save and I know he wanted to get me a win, and we were able to do that."

It was the first post-season win for the Phillies since they took Game Five of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on October 21, 1993, and their fifth consecutive victory over Milwaukee.