This just in: Chase Utley is still "The Man."
No. 26 and October just go together. We saw why from 2007-11 when Utley was doing work in red pinstripes. More evidence came Tuesday in sunny Los Angeles.
Cool, calm and collected (expect anything different?), the beloved former Phillie forced a decisive Game 5 of the NLDS between the Dodgers and Nationals by snapping a 5-5 tie with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning of an eventual 6-5 win.
Andrew Toles: HBP
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2016
Andre Ethier: Single
Chase Utley: Go-ahead RBI single
TEAMWORK. 👊 #LALovesOctober pic.twitter.com/ORUo1ygFes
Utley, of course, wasn't done, though. He put the cherry on top with a heckuva defensive play for the final out.
Hard-nosed or nothing. https://t.co/pqKwe59cg1 #NLDS pic.twitter.com/VlM2NR7jMo
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) October 12, 2016
The guy sure loves the postseason.
And we'll always love watching him.
Oh, and not to be outdone, Joe Blanton — another former Phillie and 2008 world champion — picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.