NEW YORK — The grand return of the World Series to New York after a six-year absence turned out to not be so special.

At least not for the home team.

As they did last year at Tropicana Field to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Phillies came in and crashed the party, snatching home-field advantage by taking the opener, this time 6-1 at Yankee Stadium.

And befitting their role as the other team given all the hype and hyperbole accorded the hosts in their quest for a 27th championship, their stars were two of the other guys.

Cliff Lee, the other left-handed ace traded by Cleveland, not CC Sabathia, threw a dazzling six-hit complete game in his Series debut, and Chase Utley hit two home runs.

Lee didn't show any cracks in his first World Series.

"It's the same game I've been playing my whole life," he said. "This is the stage I've wanted to be on since I was a kid. I've already put all the work in. There's no sense in being nervous."

It was the first Series game in New York since 2003 and included an appearance by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden among the crowd of 50,207. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, in failing health, watched from an upstairs box.

With a 2-0 lead on Utley's homers and Sabathia, who is being considered to make three starts, out of the game after the seventh inning, the Phillies had the Yankees exactly where they wanted them reaching into their bullpen.

"The approach I had was

to try to lay off the slider — because the slider is a tough one to hit on the barrel — and try to hit his fastball, and I was able to do that," Utley said. "He left one kind of in the middle of the plate, and you can't miss those pitches against that type of pitcher."

Facing the not exactly fear-inducing fivesome of Phil Hughes, Damaso Marte, David Robertson, Brian Bruney Phil Coke over the eighth and ninth innings, the Phillies scored four runs to break the game open.

Trying to become the first National League team to repeat since Cincinnati in 1975-76, the Phillies' 17-4 postseason run is the best in league history.

Ryan Howard doubled twice and drove in the final run for the Phillies.

Lee made it look easy, holding the high-scoring Yankees to just four hits over the first eight innings and only two runners as far as second.

Utley's first at-bat was historic as he walked to set a postseason record by reaching base in 26 consecutive games, breaking a tie with Boog Powell.

His next two were a bit more significant, solo homers to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

In the third, with two outs, he worked a nine-pitch at-bat and looped a full-count Sabathia pitch high and just over the right-field fence. With one out in the sixth, he turned on an 0-and-2 pitch and drove it deep to right-center.

Utley's homers were the first by an opponent in the six postseason games at new Yankee Stadium and the first allowed to a lefty at home by Sabathia the entire season (18 starts).

"We all know Utley is a great hitter," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Sometimes, you make mistakes and get away with them. And sometimes, you don't."

Sabathia, who had zipped through his first three postseason games with a 3-0, 1.19 mark, didn't start well, loading the bases in a 25-pitch first inning but escaping.

For the night, Sabathia went seven innings, allowing four hits, walking three and striking out six. Most important going forward might be the 113 pitches he threw as the Yankees decide whether to bring him back on three days' rest for Game 4.

Lee, meanwhile, pitched like the ace he has been since his midseason acquisition, adding another gem to his dazzling postseason. In four starts, he is 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA.