Second Acts

Who said "there are no second acts in American lives"?

For a guy who assiduously shuns the spotlight Chase Utley has quite the flair for the dramatic. Coming back from nearly a month on the Disabled List during which he missed 28 games, Utley provided plenty of excitement as he help power the Phillies to a 9-2 win over the Mets last night. Utley's home run to center field in the fifth inning provided the Phils with a 4-2 lead a half inning after the Mets had crept back to within a run. That's precisely the kind of timing and leadership his teammates missed. Utley also doubled and singled in five at bats to increase his batting average to .339, tops in the National League. No one ever compared hitting a baseball to riding a bicycle, but Utley sure made it look that easy.

There were plenty of other offensive heroes as the Phils banged out 18 hits. Chief among them were Jayson Werth, whose four hits last night gave him nine straight hits in two days, and Ryan Howard, who has been hitting the ball solidly for three straight games. If the big guy gets going he can carry a club. At the moment, he's getting a lot of help. Pat Burrell also continued to hit, especially home runs versus the Mets. He is tied with Barry Bonds for most homers against New York by an active player. Burrell's second half resurgence has quieted the local boo birds and given the veteran left fielder a new lease on life. He looks a lot happier than at any time in the last several seasons. Tadahito Iguchi, who filled in so admirably for Utley, took his demotion in stride as he delivered a pinch-hit two run homer in the seventh inning.

On the other side of the ball J.D. Durbin pitched a fine game, holding the Mets scoreless for four innings and keeping Jose Reyes off the bases, a key element if you want to beat New York. Durbin has made the classic journey from the depths of despair to triumph as he won for the sixth time in a Phillies uniform since being inserted in the starting rotation. It's a heartwarming story for a guy with his fourth team in one season, a veritable second act!