Chase Utley got it going versus the Mets. (Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports)
NEW YORK — Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is alive and well. Just ask the New York Mets and their ace, right-handed pitcher Matt Harvey.
Utley snapped out of his season-opening slump in impressive fashion Tuesday, when he homered twice, collected three hits and three RBIs and reached base in all four plate appearances in the Phillies’ 6-5 loss at Citi Field.
Utley homered off Harvey in the first — the homer snapped a 175 at-bat homer drought for Utley, the longest of his career –and singled home a run in the third to pull the Phillies within 4-2.
Utley is 6-for-15 against Harvey. He has as many hits against Harvey as the rest of the Phillies do combined all-time: Harvey has limited the Phillies to a .128 average (12-for-109) in five career starts.
“Sometimes when a great player faces another great player, it brings the best out of our guy,” Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. “Chase, I think, rose to the occasion, to the challenge of facing a very good pitcher. I think he stepped up and gave us a boost early and gave us another boost with a base hit driving in a run.”
In the fifth, Utley was hit between the “2” and the “6” on his back with what looked to be a purpose pitch from Harvey. Two Mets players, shortstop Wilmer Flores and left fielder Michael Cuddyer, were hit in the hand by Phillies right-hander David Buchanan in the second inning.
Harvey said, with a straight face, that the pitch simply got away. The famously laconic Utley shrugged it off.
“Getting hit by a pitch is part of the game,” Utley said. “It’s not the first time I’ve been hit and it probably won’t be the last.”
In the eighth, Utley greeted left-hander Sean Gilmartin with another solo homer. The multi-homer game was the 21st of Utley’s career and his fourth against the Mets.
“Chase Utley kills us,” Mets manager Terry Collins said afterward.
The big night lifted Utley’s average from .091 to .200 and doubled his RBI total to a team-high six.
“Chase broke out in a good way,” Sandberg said.
