The Official Site of Chase Utley

Sun, Jul 24th 2011, 09:18

Chase's Two Homeruns Lead Phillies Past Padres

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and hitting coach Greg Gross relegated Ryan Howard to the batting cage during Saturday afternoon’s game against the Padres.

When right-handed reliever Chad Qualls came out to pitch the seventh, Manuel summoned his slugger, hoping the day spent in the cage paid off.

The first pitch said it all.

“I felt a lot better,” Howard said after cranking a pinch-hit home run to center field, knotting the score and jumpstarting a five-run seventh in the Phillies’ 8-6 victory. “I was able to slow it down a little bit. One of the things has been I’ve been so quick trying to go get the ball, I haven’t really given myself a chance to see it.”

It was just the second time Howard was out of the lineup this season. His home run gave him a National League-best 75 RBIs and his first extra-base hit since the All-Star break.

“He did something good today,” Manuel said.

So did Chase Utley and Michael Martinez.

Utley, batting in the cleanup spot for the first time since Aug. 29, 2010, at San Diego, hit a solo home run in the seventh to send Qualls back to the dugout. Utley started the scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning, the 100th blast of his career at Citizens Bank Park. His previous home run batting cleanup came on May 23, 2007, against the Marlins. It was the first multi-homer game for Utley this season and the 19th of his career. Manuel noted better timing and backside strength in Utley’s swing.

“Obviously, results make you feel a little bit better,” Utley said.

Martinez, a Rule 5 Draft pick who has latched on with the Phillies because of his defensive versatility and tools, has played well in the absence of third baseman Placido Polanco.

Martinez hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh, complete with a bat flip and raised right fist. With Wilson Valdez pinch-running on second and Jimmy Rollins on first, Martinez wasn’t in a position to homer until a wild pitch by Qualls.

“[We] had the bunt sign on all the way until the wild pitch,” Manuel said.

Martinez is 8-for-26 (.308) with two home runs and 10 RBIs in his past six games.

“He’s hot right now,” Manuel said. “He’s been getting big hits.”

Two batters later, Utley connected.

“I’m pretty sure every pitcher will tell you that they’d like to go back and have one inning over again,” Qualls said. “Obviously, this would be my one.”

The five-run seventh inning quickly reversed the game back in Philadelphia’s favor. The Phillies allowed the leadoff batter to reach base from the fourth inning through the seventh.

Starter Kyle Kendrick walked the leadoff batter in the fourth and fifth innings but induced a double-play groundout to short in both instances. He was not so fortunate in the sixth.

Kendrick allowed a leadoff single to Padres starting pitcher Mat Latos and got bit on a first-pitch home run by Cameron Maybin. Two batters later, Chase Headley tied the game at 3 on another first-pitch home run.

The Padres took the lead in the seventh off eventual winning pitcher Michael Stutes when Logan Forsythe tripled off the top of the wall in right and scored on a single by Maybin.

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