Utley continues homer binge

The Phillies star homered for the fifth game in a row, tying a club record he shares with Dick Allen, Mike Schmidt and Bobby Abreu.

By ROB MAADDI, Associated Press

Last update: June 3, 2008 - 7:26 AM

PHILADELPHIA – Chase Utley made two diving, backhanded catches, hit another homer, barreled into a catcher and tried to bunt for a base hit.

Watching from the bench, Ken Griffey Jr. saw one of the top players in the majors do whatever it takes to get a victory.

Griffey remained one shy of 600 home runs after getting the night off, but Utley hit his major league-leading 21st homer and helped Philadelphia beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Monday night.

"He’s one of the best around," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of Utley.

Balls were flying out of Citizens Bank Park, but Griffey didn’t get a chance to take his hacks. He wasn’t in the starting lineup because of general soreness, though he should start tonight. The only players to reach 600 are Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa.

Utley homered for the fifth game in a row, tying a club record he shares with Dick Allen, Mike Schmidt and Bobby Abreu.

"He’s swinging the bat as good as I’ve ever seen him and he’s doing it every night," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Utley lined a two-run shot into the right-center field seats that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead in the first. Utley is on pace to hit 58 homers, 26 more than his career high in 2006. The record for second basemen is 42, set by Rogers Hornsby in 1922 and tied by Davey Johnson in 1973.

Utley isn’t just doing it with his bat. He robbed Joey Votto leading off the seventh and made almost the exact play on Votto again to end the game.

In the third, Utley slammed into catcher David Ross, but was out trying to score on Ryan Howard’s double. He put down a near-perfect bunt that just rolled foul leading off the Phillies’ seventh.