He retired 14 of 15 during one stretch, perhaps helped by shadows cutting across the infield. With an early start time, the sun peeked through the retractable roof all afternoon, creating a shifting pattern of shadows between pitcher and batter.

Gallardo gave up just one run — Ryan Roberts' eighth-inning homer — over eight innings to take the win in his first postseason start since 2008.

Milwaukee slugger Prince Fielder hit a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning, ending the game for Arizona starter Ian Kennedy and helping erase fears that these playoffs would be like 2008, when he went a miserable 1 for 14.

Jerry Hairston Jr. put the Brewers ahead for good in the fourth with a sacrifice fly set up by Fielder's double.

Ryan Braun, who fell just short of the NL batting title, contributed three hits. The All-Star left fielder also threw out a runner at the plate in the first inning as Milwaukee's shaky defense stood firm.

Game 2 is Sunday. Zack Greinke will start for Milwaukee against Daniel Hudson.

In Philadelphia, Ryan Howard hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning that put Philadelphia ahead to stay, beating St. Louis in the opener of their National League Division Series.

Raul Ibanez followed with a two-run shot off Kyle Lohse as the Phillies piled on five runs in the sixth. Shane Victorino had three hits and two RBIs for the hosts.

Philadelphia starter Roy Halladay had a shaky start — giving up a three-run homer to Lance Berkman in the first — but recovered to retired his last 21 batters. He allowed three hits while striking out eight over eight innings.

Cardinals starter Lohse retired the first 10 batters before Chase Utley hit a double in the fourth and the Phillies then took over in the sixth.

Down 3-1, Jimmy Rollins singled to start the inning. After Utley struck out, Hunter Pence grounded a single up the middle. That brought up Howard, who heard a lot of criticism last year for taking a called third strike with the tying run on second base to end the Phillies' season against San Francisco in the NL Championship Series.

Howard worked a full count before launching a towering drive into the second deck in right-center to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.

Victorino followed with a single. Ibanez then lined a two-run homer to right to end Lohse's night.

Lohse allowed six runs in 5 1-3 innings.

The Cardinals scored three times in the ninth, highlighted by Skip Schumaker's two-run double.

Game 2 is Sunday, with Cliff Lee pitching for Philadelphia against Chris Carpenter, who is starting on three days' rest.