-By Marc Berman

Fox stood head and shoulders above the Wednesday competition care of game one of The Baseball World Series (6-1, Phillies over Yankees), which outdelivered the No. 2 network (CBS in total viewers; ABC among adults 18-49) by a hefty 9.31 million viewers and 57 percent among adults 18-49. 

The soggy game one New York Yankees/Philadelphia Phillies matchup averaged an estimated 17.80 million viewers and a 5.8/15 among adults 18-49 in primetime, according to the fast-affiliate rating results from Nielsen Media Research. 

Here is the half-hour breakdown:
 
Baseball World Series (Fox)
 8:00 p.m. – Viewers: 18.30 million (#1), A18-49: 5.6/16 (#1)
 8:30 p.m. – Viewers: 17.61 million (#1), A18-49: 5.7/15 (#1)
 9:00 p.m. – Viewers: 17.17 million (#1), A18-49: 5.6/14 (#1)
 9:30 p.m. – Viewers: 18.01 million (#1), A18-49: 5.9/15 (#1)
10:00 p.m. – Viewers: 18.10 million (#1), A18-49: 5.9/15 (#1)
10:30 p.m. – Viewers: 17.64 million (#1), A18-49: 5.9/16 (#1)
 
Keep in mind, of course, that results for any live sporting event are approximate. Compared to the final live-plus-same-day ratings, this was down only 2.04 million viewers (19.84 to 17.80 million) and 6 percent among adults 18-49 (6.2/16 to 5.8/15) from the year-ago game five World Series matchup between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. Considering that was the final game of the series and this was only the first, this a very positive start for The 2009 Baseball World Series.