BlueClaw players were totally into last night's game, hangiing on the rail and watching one of their guys at bat."Yeah, it's kinda nice to have Utley," replied Charlie Manuel when asked about his second baseman after last night's 11th-inning win in New York. You had to see Charlie's face, which lit up like a baby's, as he made the comment. Really, it's amazing to have Utley and to watch him play on a daily basis. And I bet we the uninitiated don't even get the half of it.
I only caught the back-end of the game, driving back from Lakewood where I had gone to watch Jason Knapp of the BlueClaws pitch. I left that game after the 7th and listened on the radio till reception faded in the 9th. On then to the Phillies, who were loading the bases in the 7th and tying the game 4-4, in part thanks to more sloppy play by the Mets. I was almost home when in the 11th Utley hit his second homer of the night to put the Phils up 5-4. By the time Ryan Madson came in for the save, I was in the driveway.
Utley's 11th-inning heroics were made possible by a terrific diving catch by Jayson Werth in the bottom of the 10th and outstanding work by the bullpen. Chan Ho Park got the win. The night before the Phillies touched up Johan Santana for five runs, but still lost the game. Last night the Mets got 11 hits, albeit singles, off of Hamels but couldn't hold the lead.
Tonight it's Jamie Moyer vs. Tim Redding. Could be a blow-out, could be a pitchers' duel. Stuff happens in baseball.
Speaking of which, is anyone counting how many homers the Phillies have scored so far in this series? That would be six in two nights. Some pitcher's park.
