The Official Site of Chase Utley

Tue, Nov 3rd 2009, 09:23

Utley powering his way into Series lore

After struggling through the first two rounds of this year’s postseason, Chase Utley has realized the boyhood dream shared by those who have aspired to follow in the footsteps of legendary World Series heroes like Reggie Jackson.

More than 30 years since he victimized the Dodgers during the 1977 World Series, Yankees fans still delight in the three-homer performance that Jackson produced for the Yankees in their Game 6 clincher.

If the Phillies are able to go to New York and win the final two games of this year’s World Series, Philadelphia fans could find themselves spending many more years talking about that 2009 Fall Classic, when Utley proved to be far too powerful for the Yankees.

On the way to keeping their season alive with an 8-6, Game 5 win over the Yankees on Monday night, the Phillies saw Utley jump-start them with a three-run, first-inning homer and then deliver a seventh-inning blast that proved record-setting in multiple ways.

“Chase, when he gets hot, definitely he can get hot and stay hot for a month or two,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said after watching his All-Star second baseman match the record Jackson set when he hit five homers in the ’77 World Series.

Utley’s five homers against the Yankees have increased his career World Series total to seven, marking the most hit by a second baseman.

In addition, his seventh-inning blast enabled him to join Kansas City’s Willie Aikens as the only players who have had multihomer performances in the same World Series. The Phillies second baseman took CC Sabathia deep twice in Game 1.

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