For 12 seasons, Chase Utley has been one of the Philadelphia Phillies' best players. At times, he was the best second baseman in the game. Though http://www.authenticspursshop.com/authentic-14-danny-green-jersey.html he didn't become a major-league regular until age 26, Utley built a dark horse Hall of Fame candidacy for a while.
Then, injuries and age-related decline struck. One of those is unfortunate, the other inevitable. While Utley had a reprieve from those issues the last two years, they combined to sink him again in 2015.
The 36-year-old Utley has a .282 career average with 233 homers and 916 RBIs. In the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees, he hit five home runs to tie Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson for the major league record.
Although the Dodgers realized they couldn't replace the major league ERA leader, their much-maligned bullpen and their Philadelphia connection came through splendidly.
Utley hit a leadoff homer and added a tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth inning, and the Dodgers snapped their skid with a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.
Utley's double to the wall in right field Authentic Sam Bradford Jersey drove in Jimmy Rollins, whose clever bunt single leading off the eighth was Los Angeles' first hit since Utley's homer on Chase Anderson's first pitch.
Clutch play is nothing new for the Phillies' longtime double-play combo, but Utley and Rollins were thrilled to connect for their new team.
''I've seen Jimmy do that a few times over the years,'' Utley said. ''Being in a playoff race is a nice change of pace from the last few years. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be in this atmosphere.''
Chavez Ravine was rocking when Corey Seager added a two-run homer later in the eighth for the Dodgers (86-65). Thanks to their victory and San Francisco's loss at San Diego, the Dodgers' magic number for clinching a playoff berth and their third straight NL West title dropped to five.
Carlos Frias pitched four innings of one-hit ball in an emergency start for the Dodgers. Greinke has won five straight starts and 13 of 15 overall, yet Frias was outstanding in his second appearance after spending two months on the disabled list with a back injury.
The rest of the Dodgers' bullpen also provided excellent work, yielding four hits and never allowing a runner to reach third after Paul Goldschmidt's homer in the second.
''Those guys did a tremendous http://www.officialauthenticlions.com/WOMENS_YOUTH_BILL_BENTLEY_JERSEY.html job,'' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. ''It felt like Carlos really set the tone, (and) everybody did a good job in there in the middle, and then the Philly boys got some big hits.''
Chris Hatcher (3-5) finished the eighth for Los Angeles, and Kenley Jansen closed it out for his 33rd save.