Howard’s homer gives Phillies early 2-0 lead over Dodgers in NLCS Game 4

Howard, Blanton put Phillies up in Game 4

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer and tied Lou Gehrig’s major league record of eight straight postseason games with at least one RBI, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers after three innings Monday night in Game 4 of the NL championship series.

Howard’s two-run shot in the first inning off Randy Wolf extended a postseason RBIs streak dating to last season. Gehrig drove in runs in eight straight games for the New York Yankees during the 1928 and 1932 World Series.

Howard already held the record of seven straight games with an RBI in one postseason.

Joe Blanton retired his first nine batters as the Phillies tried to take a 3-1 NLCS lead and move within a win of their second straight World Series trip.

After an off day, Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels and the Dodgers’ Vicente Padilla — like Wolf an ex-Phillie — are the probably Game 5 starters.

Wolf was an All-Star with the Phillies and started the first game at Citizens Bank Park in 2004. He always wanted to get a postseason start in Philadelphia — only he did it for the first time wearing a Dodgers blue cap.

It was another cool night in Philadelphia, with the first-pitch temperature at 48 degrees. No pitcher has cooled off Howard in October.

Jimmy Rollins led off with a single for the defending champions. Two outs later, Howard drove a 3-1 pitch to right for his second homer of the postseason. He has 14 RBIs in eight games and seven extra-base hits.

“He’s seeing the ball good. He looks real relaxed at the plate,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said before the game. “He’s loading up good, and he’s staying on the ball. When he’s staying on the ball, he makes more consistent contact.”

Howard came out for a curtain call demanded from another raucous crowd that does not want to see this series return to Los Angles for Game 6.

Howard has a hit and an RBI in every playoff game this year. His six career postseason homers match Mike Schmidt for most in team history.

Blanton went 12-8 in 31 starts for the NL East champions, then was sent to the bullpen for the division series. He threw 23 of 32 pitches for strikes in the first three innings against the Dodgers, looking sharp in his first start since Oct. 2 vs. Florida.

Including the postseason, Blanton is 1-0 with a 3.30 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers. He got a no-decision in Game 4 of the NLCS last year against Los Angeles.