» Phillies Sweep Rockies on Utley’s 17th HR, Eaton’s Pitching

Phillies Sweep Rockies on Utley’s 17th HR, Eaton’s Pitching

Phillies 2nd baseman Chase Utley’s 3 run fifth inning homer unknotted a 1-1 game with rightfielder Geoff Jenkins following suit 3 batters later with a 2 run shot while Adam Eaton and the bullpen held Colorado at bay as the Phillies completed a 3 game sweep of the Rockies winning the final by a 6-1 score.

With the win, and with the Mets knocking off NL East leading Florida again, the Phils now stand 1/2 game behind the Marlins with the Braves, who lost 1-0 to the Brewers, 2 games behind the Phillies in 3d place and the Mets 4 games beneath the Phils in 4th place.

The Phillies got on the board in the first inning as centerfielder Shane Victorino singled through the middle with one out and stole 2nd base as starter Greg Reynolds proceeded to walk Utley. Victorino had a 3 for 4 night and scored 2 runs. After 1st baseman Ryan Howard grounded out, Reynolds walked leftfielder Pat Burrell and Geoff Jenkins to force in the run. Reynolds walked 8 in 5 1/3 innings.

After the second inning went 3 up/3 down for both teams, Eaton retired the first two hitters in the third. But with runners on 1st and 3rd base, 1st baseman Todd Helton pounded a long RBI single to left field to tie the game at 1-1. As in Tuesday’s game, rightfielder Seth Smith tried to score from 1st base on Helton’s single and was again nailed at home.

The game remained tied until the Phillies broke out in the fifth inning, in large part due to Reynold’s wildness in issuing 3 walks. AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi describes the inning for Yahoo sports;

“We were in the game until the two homers,” Reynolds said. “It was pretty disappointing they had an inning like that.”

After Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino walked to start the bottom of the fifth, Utley drove one into the second deck in right field to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead. Jenkins connected after Ryan Howard walked to make it 6-1.

Utley is on pace to hit 50 homers, 18 more than his career high in 2006. The record for second basemen is 42, set by Rogers Hornsby in 1922 and tied by Davey Johnson in 1973.

Note: Baseball Almanac’s individual page for Davey Johnson shows him as having hit 43 homers in 1973, whereas the Almanac’s recordbook page shows him tied with Hornsby for the record for most homers in a season by a 2nd baseman with 42 HRs.

Losing pitcher Reynolds got into 2 out sixth inning hot water as Victorino singled and stole 2nd base as Utley walked sending Reynolds to the showers. Reliever Jason Grilli struck out Howard to retire the side.

In the seventh, things got a bit dicey as reliever Ryan Madson replaced winning pitcher Eaton who went six innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4.

Leftfielder Ryan Spilborghs opened with a single through the middle and 2nd baseman Ian Stewart followed with a single to rightfield with Spilborghs taking 3rd base on Jenkins’ error and nailed at home attempting to score on the play. Madson then retired the side on a strikeout and a fly out to rightfield.

Madson got the 1st out in the eighth inning but then was replaced in a percentage play by J.C. Romero who got two ground outs to end the inning.

Chad Durbin replaced Romero in the ninth as things again got a bit dicey with runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs, but Durbin got shortstop Omar Quintanilla to line out to leftfield to end the game.

Eaton had easily his best game of the season, maybe the best since he’s been with the Phils. AP’s Maaddi notes Eaton’s reaction to his first win;

“I was nervous, to be honest with you,” said Eaton, who was winless in his first 10 starts. “It was a weird feeling. It was nice to get the first one out of the way the last week of May.”

Reliever Matt Herges finished up for the Rockies retiring the Phils in the eighth inning.

The Phillies got a measure of revenge for last year’s post-season play outscoring the Rockies by 33-10 in the 3 games to record their first series sweep of the season.

For all of the scores, boxscores and recaps on Wednesday’s games, click here.

The Phillies have the day off on Thursday before entertaining the Florida Marlins starting Friday for 3 games. In Friday’s opener, 6′9″ 34 year old lefthander Mark Hendrickson, with a 7-2 record, faces a disappointing Brett Myers with a 2-6 record. Saturday’s match-up is Ricky Nolasco against ace lefthander Cole Hamels. Sunday’s final is a duel of lefthanders as 23 year old Andrew Miller faces 45 year old Jamie Moyer.