Written by Andy McCullough at Los Angeles Times.com
As each home run took flight, a sea of red rose to salute a player wearing the visiting gray of the Dodgers. The sports fans of this city carry a reputation for a charming blend of passion and poison, but they have never been considered traitorous. Only one player can make them root against their own.
They know Chase Utley as “The Man” in this town, a nickname bestowed upon him a decade ago by legendary broadcaster Harry Kalas, and his return to Citizens Bank Park in a 15-5 Dodgers victory incited a series of wonders. Utley spent 15 years inside the Philliesorganization, and the crowd rewarded him with unceasing adulation.
The first ovation he received delayed the game’s first pitch. The \crowd showered him with cheers whenever he appeared at the plate. The gratitude extended to absurd levels later in the evening, after Utley launched a solo homer in the fifth and a grand slam in the seventh. The fans did not jeer or groan — they jumped to their feet and remained standing until Utley completed a curtain call from the visitors’ dugout.
“It’s completely overwhelming,” Utley said. “The standing ovation before my first at-bat was something that I’ll never forget, to be honest with you.”
The night belonged to Utley, who appeared here for the first time since the Phillies traded him last August, but his teammates aided his cause. The Dodgers (66-52) mashed three home runs off Philadelphia starter Vince Velasquez. Kenta Maeda limited the Phillies to two solo homers during six innings. Yasmani Grandal reached base four times, and launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning that, for a brief moment, took some attention away from Utley.
“It was an honor and an amazing experience to be part of something like this today,” Maeda said.
Added Howie Kendrick, who hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth: “That’s something that was truly special.”
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