The Philadelphia Phillies (92–70, NL East Champions) featured an experienced line-up and stellar defense to go with a capable pitching staff.

The trade deadline move gave Los Angeles arguably the best-right handed hitter in Major League Baseball and a dominant force in the middle of their lineup.

In the first inning, Manny Ramírez missed a home run by mere feet to center field and settled for an RBI double to give LA a 1–0 lead, and later in the fourth, Matt Kemp scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake DeWitt.

After a Ryan Howard groundout, Pat Burrell homered to left and put the Phillies out front 3–2, and that would prove to be the final score.

Manny Ramírez cut Los Angeles' deficit to 8–5 with a three-run home run off Myers in the fourth, but this proved to be the last scoring play, as the defenses took over the rest of the game.

Four Phillies relievers pitched scoreless baseball in four innings of work with Brad Lidge remaining perfect in save opportunities in the regular season and postseason.

[8] The first game at Dodger Stadium in the series saw a dramatic benches-clearing incident in the third inning, after Los Angeles starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a fastball over the head of Shane Victorino.

In the bottom of the inning, James Loney hit an RBI double off the center field wall to score Rafael Furcal and cut the lead in half.

The Dodgers immediately took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, when Chad Durbin gave up a leadoff home run to Casey Blake, then allowed the next two batters aboard with nobody out.

After Eyre retired Andre Ethier and intentionally walked Ramírez to load the bases with one out, Ryan Madson relieved Eyre and induced a line drive double play ball from Martin, which was caught by Utley, who stumbled to second base to tag Furcal out, keeping the Los Angeles lead at 5–3.

The Phillies added two more runs in the fifth off Greg Maddux when Rafael Furcal committed three errors (two on the same play), allowing Chase Utley and Howard to score.

Manny Ramírez, in another strong performance, got the Dodgers on the board with a solo home run in the sixth, but Los Angeles never threatened after that, and the Phillies won the game 5–1, the series 4–1, and their first pennant since 1993.