Chase Utley got a near-overwhelming ovation in his first at-bat last night. In the end, though, he was the only one in the starting rotation who did not get a hit and one of two who did not score a run but maybe his presence was exactly what everyone else needed. Placido Polanco started the scoring off the Reds' Bronson Arroyo with a 2-run homer in the first. The Phillies then put the game away in the third with a seven-run outbreak, capped by a three-run homer by Jimmy Rollins. Even starting pitcher Cole Hamels had a hit and scored a run in the inning. Raul Ibanez, who also made a fabulous catch at the wall, topped it all off with a solo homer and the Phillies won 10-3.
Hamels went just six innings. Stutes, Bastardo, and Baez each pitched a scoreless inning to finish the game. Brown and Mayberry were in the outfield with Ibanez. Worley pitches tonight in place of the injured Joe Blanton.
It was wonderful to see Utley back in the line-up. The sellout crowd of 45,841 was the largest ever for an in-season game.
