Utley Breaks Out

Utley 1, Harvey 0.

After a terrific Spring, Chase Utley started the 2015 season 2-for-22 for a .091 batting average.  Things didn't figure to improve against elite Mets pitcher Matt Harvey (2-0, 2.25, 0.83 WHIP).  In fact, Harvey was acing his first inning in his heavily advertised return to Citi-Field in N.Y. after last year's season-ending surgery prematurely ended his Cy Young bid.

The first 2 Phillies batters were Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis.  Harvey struck both out on a total of 7 pitches.  Harvey froze each of the young batters with strike one looking.

With 2 out and nobody on, 36 year-old Chase Utley stepped up to the plate.  He patiently looked at ball one.  Then, he fouled one off.  Next was strike 2 looking.  After the 1st 2 batters went down on strikes, with Utley deep in a funk and Harvey in total command, it didn't look good.

Next pitch?  Utley sent one deep to right, a 350 foot HR, his first of the season, but not his last of the night.  Utley would add an RBI single in the 3rd off Harvey, as well.  It appears that Harvey had enough of getting beat by Utley, because he hit him with a pitch in the 5th (payback for Phils starter Buchanan-- 0-2, 11.42 ERA-- beaming a Met), which capped Utley's perfect night against the Mets Ace right hander.

The Phils lost 6-5 in N.Y. Tuesday, but eyebrows were raised and bases were circled as the Phils hit 4 HR in all.  Phils 3rd baseman Cody Asche hit one of them, a 398 footer off Harvey.

Utley turns a double play.

“It was a fun game to play,” Asche said. “A lot of different things going on in that game, with the hype of Harvey, a couple of pitches getting away from [Buchanan] and them coming back and hitting Chase. It was intense. It’s what you come to expect in games against our division and teams we play so much. Tensions are going to rise now and again.”

In the 8th, Utley faced a new pitcher, reliever Sean Gilmartin.  Utley looked at strike one, then a ball, before taking Gilmartin deep on the 3rd pitch of his first ever at-bat against the rookie.  A 385 foot HR to right gave Utley a perfect night: 3-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 HBP.

His average leapt to .200.  It's a start.  Last season, Utley was voted the NL starting All-Star Second Baseman.  Nights like Tuesday, remind the baseball world why he was an MVP candidate in his prime and Philly fans why we're lucky to call him a Phillies lifer.  Like Schmidt, Utley has a chance to be known in one MLB uniform only.  In a season largely bereft of hope, an Utley perfect night gives fans, if not reason to hope, certainly reason to smile.