Chase Utley's two home runs silence critics in LA Dodgers' win over New York Mets

NEW YORK >> Chase Utley was nowhere to be found.

A 98-mph fastball from Noah Syndergaard had just sailed behind his back to begin the third iing Saturday. Home plate umpire Adam Hamari quickly ejected the pitcher, followed by the Mets’ irate manager, Terry Collins. As Collins raged and 42,227 umpires at Citi Field voiced their displeasure, Utley sat it all out under the shelter of the Dodgers’ dugout ceiling.

For a moment it seemed as if knocking out Syndergaard would be Utley’s greatest contribution to the Dodgers’ effort. Maybe it was.

Utley hit a solo home run in the sixth iing off Logan Verrett and a grand slam in the seventh iing off Hansel Robles. He finished 2 for 5 with five RBIs in the Dodgers’ 9-1 win, quieting every boo and every death threat on social media without saying a word.

Ever since Utley’s controversial slide in the 2015 National League Division Series broke the leg of then-Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada, the veteran was the focus of possible retaliation on the Mets’ part. Until Saturday, nothing had happened.

Utley batted once against the Mets in Game 5 of the Division Series — five days after his slide — and 20 more times this season without incident. But Hamari’s quick trigger Saturday suggests a strict waing was still in place more than seven months after the original incident.

Utley has been booed throughout the three-game series — during pregame introductions, when he bats, and whenever he touches the ball on defense. The rubber game Sunday night is a national telecast on ESPN.

The Dodgers did little wrong on Saturday. Starting pitcher Kenta Maeda was struck on his right hand with a line drive in the first iing. Unharmed, Maeda retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced without allowing a run over five iings.

Corey Seager, Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez also hit home runs for the Dodgers. Only a solo home run by pinch hitter Juan Lagares off J.P. Howell in the eighth iing prevented a shutout.

The only fly in the ointment: Trayce Thompson was removed during the fifth iing with lower back soreness. The right fielder pursued a foul ball near the wall in the bottom of the fourth iing, went into a slide, and might have been injured on the play. He did not catch the ball.

Yasiel Puig replaced him in the field in the bottom of the fifth iing.

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