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Utley, Feliz help Phillies avoid sweep

Apr 21, 2008 - 5:30 AM By Vince DiGregorio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- With Jimmy Rollins finally being placed on the disabled list, the Philadelphia Phillies may have another MVP candidate this season.

Chase Utley had two home runs and four RBI and Pedro Feliz drove in the eventual game-winning run with a pinch-hit homer as the Phillies avoided a three-game sweep with a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Utley was an MVP candidate last year until suffering a broken hand that caused him to miss games late in the season. That allowed Rollins to put up his MVP numbers leading the Phillies to the division title.

"This is a team game," Utley said. "It's up to us to pick each other up when it's not going so well.

"Jimmy's the National League MVP, so it's tough when you lose a player like that. But at this point, there's not really much we can do about it except battle through it."

The score was tied 4-4 in the seventh when Feliz, batting for third baseman Greg Dobbs, led off against Mets lefthanded reliever Pedro Feliciano (0-1) and drove a 2-0 offering into the seats in right-center for an opposite field home run.

"I went up there and tried to be patient," Feliz said. "I got to two balls and no strikes, (Feliciano) has got to come over the plate. I got a chance and I got him. It's good for us to take one game from (the Mets)."

J.C. Romero (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Brad Lidge put the first two batters on in the ninth before retiring the next three to earn his third save.

Eric Bruntlett, Rollins' replacement at shortstop, made a diving stop on a sharp grounder up the middle by Carlos Beltran for the final out to preserve the win.

"When somebody on our team gets hurt, our players don't talk too much about it," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "That guy that goes in the lineup, he goes in there for a purpose. He goes in there to prove he can play, too. That's how I like it."

The victory snapped a four-game losing streak against New York and also halted the Mets' five-game overall winning streak.

"It was a good series," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We just like to win series. We don't put a lot of stock in (sweeps)."

Philadelphia took its first lead in the series when Utley drove a 2-0 pitch into the right-center field seats for a home run in the first inning. It was the fourth straight game in which Utley homered.

"The whole goal in every at-bat is to try to hit the ball hard," Utley said. "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's the main objective."

The Phillies had more scoring opportunities off Mets starter Mike Pelfrey but failed to take advantage, leaving two runners on in both the third and fourth innings.

They finally broke through in the fifth after Jayson Werth and Dobbs led off with singles. Utley then belted a 3-1 pitch high off the right field foul pole screen for a three-run homer that increased Philadelphia's advantage to 4-0.

"I tried to get (the pitch) inside," Pelfrey said. "You can't make a mistake with a guy of that caliber. He's one of the best hitters in the game."

New York struck quickly in the sixth inning by batting around off Phillies hurler Adam Eaton. Jose Reyes led off with a triple and scored on a single by Luis Castillo. After David Wright doubled, Beltran delivered a two-run single to pull the Mets within 4-3.

Chad Durbin replaced Eaton and got an out before Beltran stole second. Ryan Church followed with a bloop RBI single to right that tied the game, 4-4.

Pelfrey lasted five innings and allowed four runs on 10 hits. Eaton went five-plus innings and surrendered four runs on six hits.