WASHINGTON - A graying Chase Utley looked behind and saw Carlos Ruiz walk toward the on-deck circle. They are two men in the twilight of their careers who have shared so many bonds in red pinstripes that will never be broken, but this was a first.
Ruiz appeared as a pinch-hitter late Thursday night to replace Utley for the Dodgers in the seventh inning of Game 5 at Nationals Park. The go-ahead run stood at second base. Ruiz slashed the fifth pitch he saw, a change-up, to left field for a run-scoring single. The Dodgers, winners in a 4-3 classic over Washington, never trailed again.