Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley Shows Up While Phillies Offense Wakes Up

Chase Utley finished off what would normally be considered a bad night for anyone, let alone a player of Utley’s caliber, by grounding out in the bottom of the eighth to complete an 0-for-5 performance at the plate.

Oddly enough, the fans responded with a round of applause, then headed for the exits.

For at least one day, the Phillies offense had awoken from its recent slumber to the tune of 14 hits and 10 runs. While the outcome of the game was still an inning away from being solidified, a lot of the fans headed home early, satisfied with seeing Chase in action for the first time this year, in the type of complete team performance has fans dreaming of another parade down Broad Street.

While the Phils record now stands at 29-18, giving them a two game division lead and the best record in the National League, there has been a surprising amount of angst and frustration coming from the fans in recent weeks.

Mainly due to a recent nine game stretch in which the Phillies failed to score more than three runs in any single game, the ire has been focused almost entirely on the offense.

Only a few years removed from being considered one of the most potent lineups in the majors, the Phillies have lost the pop that made them so special.

That concern was voiced the minute that Jayson Werth departed for Washington and people realized this lineup was now without a right-handed power bat to protect Ryan Howard. But Ben Francisco’s April—where he was batting close to .270 with four home runs and 18 RBI—alleviated those concerns for the time being.

Well it turns out that April showers sometime bring May flounders (come on that was so bad it was funny), as Francisco is hitting .111 this month and losing playing time to John Mayberry Jr. and the returning Dominic Brown.

Ryan Howard has followed suit, batting only .178 this month including a recent 0-for-23 stretch, after having an excellent April in which he hit .290 with six home runs and 27 RBI.

On the flip side, Raul Ibanez, who started the season hitting so poorly that the Phillies announcers couldn’t tell if the fans were booing him or just giving him their customary Raaauuuuul, has hit much better with an average of .324 so far in the month of May.

Those factors, combined with Shane Victorino’s current stint on the DL, have left Charlie Manuel in an all too familiar position where he is constantly tinkering with his lineup in search of some consistency.

It’s likely that questions will continue to face this lineup for the rest of the season. Who should lead off? Who should bat behind Howard? Is there a right-handed power bat out there that the Phils can trade for?

While those are all very valid questions, for at least one day, the Philly fans should just take a cue from Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit song, “What’s that?”

You don’t get the reference? Well tough—you can simply look it up online.

The season is long my friends. When you’re finding things to complain about on a team this good, take a step back and consider how much worse things could be.

You could be a Mets fan.

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