Chase Utley got curtain calls after each of his two home runs – including a grand slam – in his first game at Citizens Bank Park since being traded to the Dodgers last August 19. Though the Phillies were on the losing end of the game, Philly fans were still overjoyed to see their former star.
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Dodgers: Norris (6-9, 4.26) will make his first start since July 31 in the opener of the four-game series, facing Reds RHP Tim Adleman (1-1, 3.73).
“I didn’t really have an opportunity to say goodbye”, Utley said.
Chase Utley the grizzled Los Angeles Dodgers veteran infielder was returning to the only other team he ever played for in Major League Baseball. Not that any more emotion was needed.
Utley played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Philles, before accepting a trade to the Dodgers past year.
His solo homer came off Phillies starter Vince Velasquez (8-5) during Los Angeles’ three-run fifth inning and his grand slam was off reliever Michael Mariot during an eight-run seventh.
The Dodgers won 15-5, but Phillies fans probably weren’t too torn up over the outcome. And even though Utley’s cap was blue, Howard always will consider him a teammate. He stretched by himself for a few minutes before pausing his routine to sign autographs, which garnered cheers. It brought back memories of when he and Utley used to produce monstrous numbers batting third and fourth for the Phillies.
It was the 34-year-old first baseman’s first multi-homer game of the season and the 20th of his career.
Utley received an extended standing ovation before his opening at-bat, which came as he walked to the plate with his walk-up music, “Kashmir”, blaring over the loudspeaker. Throughout the applause from the crowd, the second baseman tipped his cap to the crowd and Phillies’ dugout, eventually stepping in the box. He’s one of my better friends. It was one of numerous different photos from over the years shown during his at-bats.
“If there’s any player that you have to dig deeper than the numbers to find his value, Chase is head and shoulders above everyone else”, Roberts said.
“I don’t know”, he said. But he admitted “it’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time”. “To me, that’s a true compliment”.
Utley homered in Game 1 of the 2008 NLCS and World Series, sparking victories both times. Utley called it the most nervous at-bat of his career and he took a called third strike.
Eickhoff gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Javier Baez hit a two-run homer while Hammel (13-5) struck out seven to extend his scoreless streak to 22 innings. One minute he appeared on the Jumbotron as victor of the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies’ top minor-league position player in 2002. “And he wants to be in those situations. And he does play with intensity”.
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“With all the swings and misses and expanding the strike zone, he comes up big an very bad lot”, Mackanin said. So he’s all-in every day.
