Utley gives Phils fightin’ chance, hits 3-run HR for lead over Yanks in Game 5 of World Series

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Utley hits 3-run HR, Phils take lead in Game 5

PHILADELPHIA — Chase Utley rocketed a three-run homer and the win-or-else Philadelphia Phillies came out swinging, taking a 6-2 lead over the New York Yankees after six innings Monday night in Game 5 of the World Series.

Down three games to one, the defending champion Phillies gave postseason ace Cliff Lee a comfortable cushion. They battered A.J. Burnett, chasing him before he got anyone out in the third inning.

Needing only one more win for their record 27th championship, the Yankees struck first on an RBI double by Alex Rodriguez in the opening inning. His team-record 16th RBI of the postseason sent a few “Let’s go, Yankees!” chants bouncing around Citizens Bank Park.

Then it was the Phils’ turn. Their bats and fans got loud in a hurry.

Jimmy Rollins led off with a sharp single to center. He immediately took off for second base and moved up when Shane Victorino was hit by a pitch in the right hand while squaring to bunt. Victorino kept shaking his head, but stayed in the game after X-rays were negative.

Utley hit the next pitch deep to right field and the giant Liberty Bell high above the wall told the story. As it tolled, Utley quickly circled the bases with his fourth home run of this World Series, tying Lenny Dykstra’s club record set in 1993.

The Phillies piled on three more in the third. Jayson Werth and Raul Ibanez hit run-scoring singles and Carlos Ruiz had an RBI grounder. Lee added a single for good measure.

If Game 6 is needed, it will be Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium with Andy Pettitte pitching for the Yankees against Pedro Martinez. A return to New York would give baseball something it hasn’t had for a while — starting in 2004, no World Series has gone past five games.

Only six teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit in the World Series, with George Brett and Kansas City the last to do it in 1985 against St. Louis.

Lee and Burnett both won with gems last week, but the longtime friends from Arkansas were not nearly so sharp this time around. Lee wasn’t in complete control early while Burnett, trying to add to his 4-0 career record on three days’ rest, was all over the place.

Burnett, Pettitte and CC Sabathia are the only pitchers to start for the Yankees this postseason. This outing marked the first time that any of them failed to last six innings.

Lee walked three and struck out two. In Game 1, the lefty held the Yankees without an earned run while striking out 10 with no walks. Lee began the night with a 3-0 record and a 0.54 ERA in four starts this postseason.

The Yankees tacked on a run in the fifth when pinch-hitter Eric Hinske walked, Derek Jeter singled for his eighth hit of the Series and Johnny Damon had an RBI grounder. Minus the DH, missing injured Melky Cabrera and starting catcher Jose Molina instead of Jorge Posada, the Yankees’ lineup hardly looked fearsome.

Burnett excelled in Game 2, shutting down the Phillies on one run and four hits through seven innings. The Phils tagged him from the get-go in the rematch, and that started another parade of mound meetings for the Yankees — in Game 4, Sabathia got eight visits alone in a single inning.

The Yankees made a roster move before the game, replacing injured outfielder Melky Cabrera with backup infielder Ramiro Pena. Cabrera strained his left hamstring in Game 4, and Brett Gardner started Game 5 in center field.

Gardner banged into the wall in left-center after catching Werth’s drive in the fifth. Gardner stayed down on the warning track for a few moments and Werth leisurely jogged around the bases, just in case the ball hadn’t been cleanly caught.