Utley gets a full night off because of rainout

PHILADELPHIA -- Before inclement weather postponed Friday's contest, Chase Utley was out of the Phillies lineup for the first time since returning from an oblique injury last month.

Utley appeared in 20 straight games since June 21, and manager Charlie Manuel said he just wanted to give the second baseman a chance to rest, especially with White Sox left-hander John Danks on the mound.

"He's been running a lot, running, sliding, running the bases, and I thought it was time for him to get a blow," Manuel said. "Against a lefty, I thought it would be a pretty good time to give him a break."

Utley, a left-handed hitter, has hit .280 with four home runs, five RBIs and a .330 on-base percentage since returning from his injury, which sidelined him for a month. Utley is hitting .275 with 11 homers, 30 RBIs and an .836 OPS this season.

For the first time in his career, Utley committed three errors in one game Thursday. The trio of gaffes came in the game's first two innings, and the first error happened when Utley collided with first baseman Darin Ruf while going for a popup. The next two came on one play, when Utley bobbled a grounder and then made a poor throw to first base.

None of Utley's errors resulted in runs, however, and the Phillies beat the Nationals, 3-1. Kevin Frandsen delivered a go-ahead, pinch-hit single in the victory, and was slated to start at second base and hit sixth on Friday. Frandsen is hitting .295 with 16 RBIs this season.