Utley's gutsy baserunning, home run spark victory

SAN DIEGO - This was anything but textbook - questionable baserunning, shoddy fielding - but when you're scrambling to stay at .500 and playing the best in the West, the book doesn't always apply.

Chase Utley gambled on the bases and came out a winner. He scored the tying run in the fourth inning of the Phillies' 7-3 win, their second in five games of this seven-game West Coast trip.

Utley also hit a two-out, two-run insurance homer in the seventh off Doug Brocail, his 17th of the season and his league-high 80th and 81st RBI. He hammered his National League-best 41st double of the year in the ninth.

But first . . .

Utley was on second. Ryan Howard was on first with his second of two hits. Aaron Rowand pushed a fly ball over Khalil Greene's head at shortstop.

Greene gave chase, his back to the infield. Utley read it as a base hit all the way.

The ball deflected off the thumb of Greene's glove, an inch away from a sure doubleplay.

Instead, Utley scored, Howard moved to third and Rowand hustled into second. Howard then scored on Pat Burrell's grounder to make it 3-2.

"Chase is a helluva a baserunner. He doesn't make many mistakes," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Starter Adam Eaton (9-6) later made it 4-2 with his 10th hit and fourth RBI.

Those runs came off Justin Germano, whom the Phillies waived in spring training. Germano was a splendid success story until recently. He ran off a 5-0 record with a 2.36 ERA in his first seven starts. Last night, he lasted one out and three batters into the sixth and dropped his fourth decision in six games.

Asked whether the Phillies had a plan to attack their former Triple A starter, Manuel said, "We had a four-leaf clover and a rabbit's foot."

Seriously, Manuel continued, "He was all right. He did fine."

Pinch-hitter Chris Coste set up Utley's homer in the seventh with a leadoff single. He was forced at second on Shane Victorino's ground ball, but Victorino beat out the relay to first. That framed Utley's 3-1 blast of an 89-mph fastball to straightaway centerfield in Petco Park, one of the major leagues' most demanding venues.

Utley also robbed Adrian Gonzalez on a pair of diving plays at second base, which made his night complete, if lucky. Still, Utley's baserunning gamble wasn't nearly as remarkable an incident as Eaton's casual approach to defense.

Twice, Eaton failed to cover third base.

Twice, it cost him.

Greene trotted to third in the second inning when Michael Barrett grounded to third baseman Wes Helms' left. Helms cut off the grounder in front of shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Greene saw Eaton watching the play, sprinted in front of Rollins and accepted the gift of third.

He tied the game on Russell Branyan's single to shallow centerfield. Eaton retired the next two batters. Greene might have been stranded at third.

In the third inning, with runners on first and third, Eaton watched Gonzalez' blooper land in the no man's land down the leftfield line behind third base. Milton Bradley watched, too, from second base. He watched Eaton not covering third. He watched Utley manning second base. He watched Helms, Burrell and Rollins give chase to the fly ball.

Then, Bradley broke for third. Utley ran with him. Eaton ran, too.

So did second base umpire Chris Guccione, because third base ump Bill Miller had run down the line to make the fair/foul call.

Guccione and Eaton arrived at third at the same time.

Guccione clobbered Eaton. His left shoulder clipped Eaton's right shoulder. His bulk landed on Eaton.

Eaton, a righthander, rubbed his right shoulder, flexed his right knee and remained in the game. He escaped with no further damage - to the score, or to himself.

"That umpire make a pretty good tackle on him, didn't he?" Manuel asked. "I should say, a block."

He pitched effectively in the game until there were two out and one on in the sixth when, after 104 generally unremarkable pitches, he gave way to J.C. Romero, who loaded the bases with two walks, but got Bradley to ground out.

Ryan Madson, Mike Zagurski and Antonio Alfonseca combined to finish the final three innings, Zagurski charged with one run, but then, this was the worst offensive team in the league.

With the best pitching. *