Major League Baseball

Bobble Reds

Published Oct. 9, 2010 11:07 a.m. ET

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When the ball was released from Aroldis Chapman's hand, it was traveling at 100.9 m.p.h. Chase Utley had watched the previous two pitches by the flamethrowing rookie Cuban righthander go past for strikes. But this one was headed right for him.

When it crossed the plate, the ball was moving at 91.5 m.p.h.

"At first I thought it was going to hit me in my head," Utley said Friday night after the Phillies' 7-4 victory over Cincinnati in Game 2 of the National League division series. "Fortunately, it didn't. And he throws so hard. I felt like I thought it hit me, so I put my head down and I ran to first."

Wait. So did it actually hit him or not?

"I heard that it didn't hit him," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

"Yeah," Charlie Manuel said, "he got hit."

"I'm not sure," Utley said. Then he smiled.

Thus began one bizarre - and rather illegal - trip around the bases. And it was only the start of a truly crazy seventh inning that may very well have turned this series in permanent favor of the Phillies.

They scored three unearned runs in the inning to take the lead. Now, the Phillies have a commanding lead of two games to none in the best-of-five series as it heads to Cincinnati, with Cole Hamels scheduled for Game 3 on Sunday.

Sometimes, as Manuel says, it's better to be lucky than good. Cincinnati made four errors that led to five unearned runs. Reds pitchers hit three batters, and one of them scored. They walked four more, with one free pass forcing in a run.

The Phillies' luck turned drastically when Utley trotted to first in the seventh with his team trailing, 4-3. Chapman, viewed as a game-changing weapon entering the series, struck out Ryan Howard on three pitches. But then Jayson Werth hit a grounder to third, and Scott Rolen tried to force Utley at second. Utley slid clumsily but was ruled safe by umpire Ed Rapuano.

"From where I was, he looked out," Baker said.

That brought Jimmy Rollins to the plate. He hit a line drive to right.

Jay Bruce, one of the best defensive rightfielders over the last two seasons as rated by advanced metrics, moved into position for the catch. Then, suddenly, the ball was past him.

Bruce was frozen as the 46,511 fans squeezed into Citizens Bank Park waved their towels. Utley was headed back for second base, assuming the ball would be caught. When it wasn't, he made an awkward turn on the infield grass near second base and started sprinting for third.

He may have never touched the bag.

"It was a little hectic," Utley said.

Replays were unclear. But if Utley did hit third, he barely glanced it with his foot. He nearly fell over while rounding the bag. Behind him, Werth was in full stride. Brandon Phillips dropped the relay throw from centerfielder Drew Stubbs, who had gone to the wall to recover Bruce's folly. Werth scored easily.

Phillies 5, Reds 4. And just about everyone in the stadium looked around wondering one thing: What in the world just happened?

Both Baker and Bruce said the ball was lost in the lights. The crazed fans waving white towels didn't help matters, either.

"Things like that can happen to anybody," Phillies closer Brad Lidge said. "But with our experience, we don't really let them happen to us very often. Obviously, a lot of guys on that team are in the postseason for the very first time. It's a different atmosphere."

Things like that did happen to Utley. In the second inning, he made two errors, which led to a Cincinnati run.

"What I have learned is when you do make an error," Utley said, "you have to put it behind you."

In the bottom of the fifth inning, he singled home two runs. Two innings later, he began his eventful trip around the bases.

"I don't have to say a whole lot about him," Manuel said. No, Utley said plenty when he put his head down in the seventh and trotted to first without a word from anyone.

Contact staff writer Matt Gelb

at 215-854-2928

or mgelb@phillynews.com.

Follow on Twitter @magelb

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