June 11, 2009, Philadelphia Phillies-New York Mets game story and sidebar for Metro Newspaper's NY and Philadelphia editions
Sure feels like September
Utley's homer in extras breaks Mets
MLB.
The shame of it was that the calendar only read June.
In no way was what transpired at Citi Field last night was anything less than a playoff game. Following Tuesday night’s classic, the encore was at the very least its equal. Arguably, it was even better.
“It was a good ballgame, an excellent ballgame,” manager Jerry Manuel said.
Unfortunately for the Mets, this one had past Septembers stamped all over it in a 5-4 loss in 11 innings. Even so, it was an appetizer for an extended October date for the NL East rivals.
Chase Utley hit two solo home runs for the NL East leaders. Utley's second shot was the difference maker in the 11th off reliever Bobby Parnell, giving the Phillies their first and only lead of the game.
“In that situation he’s trying to do one thing: pull the ball,” Parnell said. “I gave it to him. It was the wrong pitch to throw at the time. I gave him what he wanted. Yeah, I made a mistake. It was (not) a really good pitch to throw in that situation. He’s looking to do one thing with the ball (and that’s) pull it.”
It was the more reserved Utley who came through for the Phils, who hold the NL's second-best record, rather than Phillies starter Cole Hamels, who labeled the Mets as “choke artists” back in December. In his first start against the Mets since making those comments, Hamels allowed for four runs on 11 hits in just five innings. Hamels was at his worst in the fourth where he gave up back-to-back-to back RBI singles to the Murderer’s Row of Mike Pelfrey, Luis Castillo and Alex Cora. Pelfrey set a career high with two hits. He also scored a run.
Pelfrey, who was shelled by the Pirates in his previous start, bounced back at the dish and on the mound. He gave up four runs -- two earned -- on six hits in six innings.
“Pelfrey pitched well,” Manuel said.
At the end of the sixth inning, Pelfrey and Utley had a momentary confrontation. The pitcher and slugging second baseman walked in front of, then stared down, each other as they headed to their respective dugouts. Pelfrey explained that he was upset because during an at-bat, Utley had called time as he was ready to throw. The usually milquetoast 6’7 right hander said that he yelled at Utley to “get in the box.”
When asked if the adrenaline from the confrontation with Utley carried over into the seventh, Pelfrey said, “No. I felt fine. Physically, I felt fine. They just got hits.”
That they did. Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth all singled before Manuel lifted Pelfrey for Sean Green with the bases loaded and no outs. Pedro Feliz drove in Howard with a RBI single off the struggling Green. Ibanez and Werth scored following David Wright’s eighth error to tie the game at four.
Instead of pointing the finger at Green, Pelfrey and Wright each took responsibility for what transpired.
“I put the bullpen in a tough spot, coming in there with the bases loaded and no one out. A 4-1 lead, that’s tough to swallow,” Pelfrey said.
“That was a tough spot for Greenie and he did about as good as he could in the situation,” Wright said.
Hamels, the World Series MVP, was bailed out by his bullpen. The sextet of Jack Taschner, Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre, J.C. Romero, Chan Ho Park (2-1) and Ryan Madson (3rd save) combined to only yield four hits and three walks in six shutout innings.
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 11:21 AM
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