Chase Utley's Return To Philadelphia Was Perfect

The Philadelphia Phillies traded Chase Utley to the Dodgers almost exactly one year ago. Utley spent 12 seasons in Philly, winning a World Series ring and making the All-Star team six times. He is nearly as synonymous with the Phillies as Jimmy Rollins, and he played his first game in Philly as a visitor this evening. It went perfectly.

Fans greeted him with a massive standing ovation as he came to the plate for the first at-bat the game.

He struck out looking, then flied out two innings later, but in the fifth he stroked a big dong to right field. Phillies fans lost their shit for a second time.

Two innings after his big donger, Utley stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and the game locked up. So of course he sent another dinger to right field. I don’t think any Phillies fans can be mad at Michael Mariot for serving this up to Utley.

Utley’s had no multi-homer games at Dodger Stadium this season, but he now has one in Philly. Neither side could have hoped for a better reunion. Utley got to show out and have one of his best games of the year in his old digs; Phillies fans got to see some cool, meaningful baseball highlights produced by one of their own. That’s about as ideal as it gets.