Utley's Homer Lifts Phillies Over Mets

The first homer that Pedro Feliciano allowed this year turned out to be costly. <br/><br/>Chase Utley's leadoff shot in the 11th inning sent the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-2 victory over the New

Wednesday, June 6th 2007, 7:28 am

By: News On 6

The first homer that Pedro Feliciano allowed this year turned out to be costly.

Chase Utley's leadoff shot in the 11th inning sent the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

The normally reliable Feliciano (1-1) was charged with another run, too, increasing his ERA from 0.90 to 1.80 in 24 appearances.

``This time, he got me,'' Feliciano said, adding that he shook off catcher Paul Lo Duca's sign for a slider and served up a sinker instead. ``He had a good swing. It was a little up.''

Left-handed hitters were 2-for-23 with eight strikeouts against Feliciano this season before Utley's homer and Ryan Howard's single off the right-field fence.

``What do you want me to say about him? I can't say enough,'' Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said of Utley. ``He is something really special. He's what I call a player. I used to say Kirby Puckett was my favorite player. I love Kirby Puckett, but Chase is getting there.''

Howard finished with three hits and Utley was 3-for-4 with a double and a two-run single.

Soft tossers Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer offset each other for seven quick innings, both leaving with the score tied at 2 in the second matchup this season between the 40-something lefties.

``They know how to win,'' Moyer said, pointing to the Mets' consistency the past two seasons. ``Hopefully, it's something we can model.''

Geoff Geary (1-1) worked a scoreless inning and Antonio Alfonseca got three outs for his second save.

Trying for his 296th win, Glavine again was thwarted by a lack of run support and a few soft hits. He is 0-2 with a 3.15 ERA in his past three starts.

``It's hard going out there and pitching well and not getting results,'' Glavine said. ``You just keep plugging along and keep us in the game.''

In other NL games Tuesday night, it was: Atlanta 3, Florida 1 in the first game of a doubleheader, and Florida 5, Atlanta 1 in the second game; Pittsburgh 7, Washington 6; Milwaukee 7, Chicago 5; St. Louis 4, Cincinnati 3; Houston 4, Colorado 1; Arizona 4, San Francisco 3 in 10 innings; and San Diego 1, Los Angeles 0.

An embarrassing blunder on the bases by Pat Burrell cost the Phillies in the sixth at New York. Burrell raced from first to third on Aaron Rowand's single to right, but Utley had been held at third, so Burrell got caught in a rundown and was tagged for the second out.

``I've never seen a guy slide twice into third base,'' Utley said with a smile.

Added Howard: ``I don't think people are going to let that go anytime soon. Somebody asked me earlier, what was the oddest thing I've ever seen in baseball. That might be it.''

Braves 3, Marlins 1, 1st game; Marlins 5, Braves 1, 2nd game

In the first game, Buddy Carlyle (1-1) gave up Aaron Boone's third-inning homer. However, host Atlanta got back-to-back homers from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and pinch-hitter Chris Woodward off Renyel Pinto (0-3) in the seventh to pull ahead.

Rick Vanden Hurk (1-1) was activated between games to make his first start for Florida since April 24, and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning to beat John Smoltz (7-3).

Pirates 7, Nationals 6

Xavier Nady hit a double and a sacrifice fly, both with the bases loaded, and Shawn Chacon (2-0) allowed four runs and eight hits in his third start since coming out of the bullpen.

Jack Wilson and Ronny Paulino homered for the Pirates, who opened a six-game road trip by battering Nationals starter Mike Bacsik (1-2).

Brewers 7, Cubs 5

Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Tony Graffanino hit solo home runs and Claudio Vargas (4-1) won for the first time in a month to lead host Milwaukee.

Chicago starter Ted Lilly (4-4) gave up all three home runs. He pitched five innings, allowing six runs and eight hits as Chicago lost for the first time in three games since manager Lou Piniella was suspended.

Cardinals 4, Reds 3

Pinch hitter So Taguchi singled over a drawn-in outfield in the ninth inning for his second straight game-winning hit for host St. Louis.

Jason Isringhausen (3-0) walked two and struck out two in the ninth against the Reds, who stranded 15 runners and left seven on over the last three innings.

Aaron Miles drew a leadoff walk in the ninth off Jared Burton (0-1), advanced on a sacrifice and went to third on a wild pitch. Taguchi then hit the game-winner two days after homering in the 10th inning at Houston.

Astros 4, Rockies 1

At Denver, Lance Berkman drove in two runs and Wandy Rodriguez (3-5) pitched five strong innings to pick up his first win since May 19.

The benches briefly cleared in the ninth inning, when Manny Corpas pitched behind Carlos Lee. Phil Garner was ejected for arguing with umpire Ed Rapuano that something should have been done to Corpas.

Jason Hirsh (2-6) gave up two runs and five hits in six-plus innings to remain winless in his last eight starts.

Diamondbacks 4, Giants 3, 10 innings

Chris Young homered with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift host Arizona to its 10th win in 11 games.

Young, who was 0-for-4 with a strikeout before his final at-bat, connected for his seventh homer of the year and first since May 11 against Kevin Correia (1-3).

Padres 1, Dodgers 0

Marcus Giles drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for host San Diego, and Trevor Hoffman moved within one save of becoming the first major leaguer with 500.

Pinch-hitter Russell Branyan was hit in the foot by a pitch from Rudy Seanez (2-1) with one out in the eighth, stole second and scored on Giles' hit to center.

Scott Linebrink (2-1) allowed a single in the eighth before Hoffman pitched the ninth.