Gritty Utley sets the tone for Phillies
Gritty Utley sets the tone for Phillies
Sam Donnellon, Daily News Sports Columnist
NEW YORK - The grind to his game is most emphatically demonstrated when it is not there.
No one knows the toll the rest of this World Series will take on Chase Utley and his undisclosed hurts. Only that rest has been a great friend to him this time of the year.
A nine-pitch at-bat in the third. A home run. An 0-2 count in the sixth. Another home run, this one traveling about 20 rows into the rightfield bleachers. C.C. Sabathia had not allowed a home run to a lefthanded batter all season at Yankee Stadium until last night. No lefthanded batter but Babe Ruth had ever hit two home runs against a lefthander in the Yankees home park.
But Chase Utley has not rested between games for this long since, well, the last Game 1 of the World Series. Seven days had expired between games this time. Six days went by the year before. Remember? Utley slammed a two-run home run over the rightfield wall in his first at-bat of the 2008 World Series. Cole Hamels pitched almost as well as Cliff Lee did tonight, and the Phillies had stolen home-field advantage with a 3-2 victory.
They won, 6-1. Cliff Lee's mastery of the Yankees was the story of this Game 1. But Utley's two knocks against Sabathia, who was 3-0 with a 1.19 earned run average this postseason, was equally foreboding.
Because the Yankees are full of lefthanded pitchers. Because Sabathia is going to start three games if this World Series goes the distance. The Phillies had three extra-base hits before Sabathia exited after the seventh. Ryan Howard's double was the other one.
And because Utley's power, if the grind doesn't absorb it, is a weapon they really didn't have in the first two rounds.
Someone should get out the Astroglide and start greasing up the traffic light poles in Center City... if it's anything like last year, Philadelphians will make their hometown proud on the national news any minute now by looting luggage stores, flipping cars, and falling off traffic lights in celebration....— westphiladelphian215- Sam: Nice headline. Did you write it?— steve19149
- Chase Utley, you are the man!!!!— oirerflaksdjflijfifasdf
- Three more.— He had high apple pie in the sky hopes.
- YANKS SPANKED! Maybe if they spend another 100 million they can win a game against the Phils. The arrogance of NYers living in 500 sq ft shoe boxes is baffling.— hedged
- ssssshhhhhhh......lmao!!!!— PhlyersPhilliesEagles6ers
- Great start to this 4 game series. Next on the menu...Pedro. Yankees have to be very concerned by their futility.— 2stepbay
Comment removed.- If we win, Manuel must officially change the team to the "Phillees".
- Comment removed.
- What a great headline....Chase Utley you are DA MAN! A masterpiece from Cliff Lee!— bigfran88
- it ain't over yet... but at least this will shut up those NY big mouths!— mikezee
- westphiladelphian215, if your really from west philly your the ones we need to watch for, the rest of philly will celebrate the Phils second title with class just like last year!— B-Rooster
- Comment removed.
- Lee still got his shutout. Zero earned runs. Throwing error led to the 1 run. Gotta love a little shock-n-awe campaign in the Bronx. Let's go Pedro. Just like the NLCS, baby. You are the man.— djack10
Reach Sam at donnels@phillynews.com.
