CHICAGO, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - James Loney hit a grand slam and Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin added solo shots to lead Los Angeles to a 7-2 win over the Chicago in the opening game of their first-round Major League Baseball series.

Loney made Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster pay for his inconsistency as the Dodgers won a a playoff game for just the second time in two decades.

Pitcher Derek Lowe (1-0) allowed two runs and seven hits while striking out six in six innings for Los Angeles.

The Cubs were swept out of the playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2007, but entered the 2008 playoffs confident after leading the National League in wins this season.

Loney drove the fifth offering from Dempster out to straight-away centre field to forge a 4-2 lead.

Dempster allowed a double to Matt Kemp before being replaced by Sean Marshall. Dempster was charged with four runs and four hits while walking seven and striking out a pair.

The winner of game one has gone on to win 24 of 28 National League opening round matchups.

Lowe, who surrendered a two-run blast to Mark DeRosa in the second, recorded nine groundouts against three fly outs while striking out six and allowing seven hits in six innings.

Los Angeles added a run in the seventh on Ramirez's solo blast, a run in the eighth on Casey Blake's RBI single and a run in the ninth on Martin's homer.

In the the other opening National League playoff contest, Cole Hamels struck out nine as the Philadelphia Phillies posted their first playoff win since 1993 by beating Milwaukee 3-1.

Hamels retired the first 14 batters and the Phillies batted around in the third.

Philadelphia's last playoff win was on October 1993, when Schilling threw a shutout in game five of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hamels (1-0) struck out nine while allowing two hits and a walk in eight innings to notch his first career postseason win.

The 24-year-old lefthander was perfect until allowing a single to Corey Hart with two outs in the fifth.

Brad Lidge made it interesting in the ninth, allowing one run, but stranded the tying run on second base by striking out Hart to close the frame.

Brewers righthander Yovani Gallardo (0-1) was let down by his defence in the third, when second baseman Rickie Weeks' error led to three unearned runs.

The 24-year-old Gallardo, who was making his second start since injuring his knee and undergoing surgery on May 1, was lifted after four innings.

He allowed three hits and walked five while striking out three.

Gallardo was forced into game one duty because ace CC Sabathia pitched on the final day of the regular season and Ben Sheets was left off the roster with an elbow injury.

Mitch Stetter, Carlos Villanueva, Manny Parra and Guillermo Mota combined to allow one hit over the final four innings, but Hamels refused to bend, retiring the final eight batters he faced.