At this time in 2015, Chase Utley was on the disabled list for the Philadelphia Phillies, batting just .179, which the Associated Press noted at that time was lowest average of any player in the league. As it turns out, Utley's ankle injury must have been rather severe, because 2016 has seen a bounce-back for the 37-year-old, who is in his first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The six-time All-Star entered the day batting just .255, an average that he raised to .270 with his performance in Wednesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. For the first time in his career, Utley recorded a six-hit game Wednesday, doubling twice and scoring two of the Dodgers' four runs. Utley tied seven others, including Shawn Green and Paul Lo Duca, for the Dodgers' franchise-record for most hits in an individual game with the six hits.
As Dodgers Gameday noted on Twitter, this was Utley's first five hit game since April 25, 2007. The Phillies defeated the Washington Nationals that day, with Jon Lieber getting the win for the Phillies and Wes Helms, Michael Bourn and Abraham Nunez all getting in the game for the winning team.
In addition to his impressive day at the plate, Utley made a potentially game-saving relay from Yasiel Puig to home plate in the top of the 13th inning.
The Dodgers lost 6-4 to the Orioles in 14 innings, in a game that certainly will go down as one of the better ones of the first half of the 2016 season.
