The scrum
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The scrum
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
The adrenaline had subsided by the end of the night, replaced instead by chuckling explanations of what went on in the pile. Brian Schneider was at the bottom of it, along with fellow catcher Carlos Ruiz. Ryan Howard was late because he was in the batting cage. Only the swell in crowd noise alerted him to what was going on.
What was going on was something less than a brawl but something more than a shoving match. Call it a scrum. Shane Victorino was hit in the back with a pitch by Ramon Ramirez with the Phillies leading 8-2 with two out in the sixth inning. The unanimous feeling in the Phillies clubhouse was that the pitch was intentional: Charlie Manuel and Vance Worley said they had no doubt about it, as did Victorino.
It is unclear what sparked it. Maybe it was Shane Victorino's earlier home run, or the one he hit the day before. Maybe it was Jimmy Rollins stealing with a six-run lead, although six runs is hardly an insurmountable lead, particularly in the sixth inning. Or maybe it was just that, for the previous 48 hours, the Phillies had made the Giants look like a Little League team, particularly last night, when they showed zero respect for Carlos Beltran's arm or range in right field and hit three home runs: one from Victorino, one from John Mayberry Jr., and one from Hunter Pence.
"I think us hitting them upset them," Manuel said.
Indeed, the Phillies hit them hard, and in two games have seized all of the momentum the Giants had built between last year's NLCS victory and last week's series in which they took 2 out of 3 at Citizens Bank Park.
Victorino said later he had no intention of charging the mound, that his only desire when he stepped forward was to say a few words to the pitcher who had just drilled him in the back.
"I had no intention of going out there and charging the mound," Victorino said. "I just wanted to know why, in that situation, he was around the plate all night, throughout that inning, and two outs, and first pitch is at my back. I just wanted to go out there and get an answer."
Eli Whiteside apparently was not in the mood to mediate a session in which Victorino and Ramirez shared their feelings with each other. After Victorino stepped forward, and Ramirez stepped off the mound, the Giants catcher started bouncing up and down like a boxer. This prompted Placido Polanco, bad back and all, to charge in from third base. Whiteside attempted to tackle Polanco, but Polanco held his ground and remained upright as Whiteside, a former high school quarterback, wrapped up his lower body.
"I had no intention of charging the mound," Victorino said. "Obviously, Eli felt like, from looking at his reaction, that I was going to go and he started jumping around. Polanco came in and he tackled Polanco and everything escalated from there."
Later, as Victorino recounted his version of the events, Polanco was sitting at a table eating Chinese food and listening to the interview.
"He did not tackle me!" Polanco shouted after overhearing Victorino claim otherwise.
Both benches and bullpens spilled around Polanco and Whiteside, with Brian Schneider and Carlos Ruiz ending up at the bottom of the pile. Screen captures of the incident appear to show a Giants player locking Ruiz in a choke hold. But all the participants said later they emerged unscathed. No punches were thrown on the Phillies side, although it took umpires awhile to restore order.
Victorino was restrained at first by an umpire, then by Phillies hitting coach Greg Gross before finally breaking free and tackling a member of the Giants coaching staff, in what Victorino said was an attempt to free Ruiz from the aforementioned choke hold.
Victorino said he did not know if he would get suspended, although he argued that because he did not throw any punches, he should not be subject to one.
Whiteside said after the game that he did not think anybody on the Phillies side had done anything to warrant a purpose pitch. Ramirez was not available for comment.
Nobody on the Phillies side seemed to think that any bad blood would linger into today.
"It was a regular brawl," Polanco said. "It's not the first one you're going to see and it's not going to be the last one."
It's safe to say that the Giants and the Phillies are now officially constitute a rivalry. And like the Phillies' previous NL West rivalry with the Dodgers, Victorino once again is front and center. Afterward, he joked that before long every baseball fan in the state of California is going to hate him.
But he clearly has the respect of his teammates, which right now is all that seems to matter.
^
Lost in all the ruckus was another splendid start by Vance Worley, who allowed two runs in seven innings while improving to 8-1 with a 2.35 ERA. Making it extra special was the fact that he grew up in the Bay Area. A lot of people don't realize that baseball players pay for their own tickets, which for a rookie like Worley can mean a healthy chunk of change. The mohawked righthander said he left eight tickets at willcall. Seven were for his friends and family. The eighth?
"My barber," he said.
^
Here's a great note. Hunter Pence has yet to lose a game since joining the Phillies. Yesterday win was his seventh victory as a Phillie, which is the same number of victories he experienced in his final 30 games as an Astro.
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giants acted stupid, but how could the phils not have 1 guy other than greg gross who thought to get Victornio out of there and keep him from going after people?
well, the phils are clicking on all cylinders and playing as well as they can...so perfect time to get the test of Cain and Lincecum...if they cant beat then now, that will create more doubt...and if they do beat the duo, well, the giants might not even be in the playoffs the way things are going righ tnow— jim715- No one ever had more balls thrown at him than Jackie Robinson. I don't believe that he ever took a step toward the pitchers mound. He did however have a revenge tactic. If it was a non-critical game situation, he would do what every little league coach tells kids not to do, leave your weight on your back foot and swing with your arms only. The result is normally a weak grounder to the right side. The first baseman needs to field the ball and the pitcher covers first. The pitcher is now in a very exposed position with a pair of very sharp spikes tied onto the feet of 195 lbs of pi$$ed off ballplayer coming at him at a high rate of speed. It has the desired effect.— Dragon76
- Hey 415rider, why don't you mediate negotiations between 'headcase' Bochy and Manuel? Whenever Bochy sends up a white flag during a game, Manuel agrees to hold his runners and have his hitters bat opposite-haned. Switch hitters will be removed.— Claudio Vernight
- Can anyone dispute, question, or second guess the Pence deal now? They guy has a hit in every game since the trade and the Phillies have not lost since the acquisition. Total upgrade in RF. Love the energy and he has made the line-up better. To the poster who stated the jury is out on the trade needs to open their eyes and watch the game.— Special Agent Fox Mulder
- You know who's happiest about last night's ruckus? Fox Sports, because it sure isn't going to hurt their ratings for this afternoon's ballgame. I for one don't plan to miss a pitch.— Dave Clemens
- The giants are mad because they got the reject trade deadline of Carlos Beltran instead of Hunter Pence and Pence and the Phillies are making them look like a team that's not even worth being a contender to the world seris title.— male
- sedale, you got it right. that fat, slob pig Sandoval got in a cheap kick and punch. that whole team is a bunch of freaks.— mel-b
I'm sending a thank-you note to RAJ, thanking him for trading for Pence and not that team killer Carlos Beltran. Phillies are 7-0 with Pence. Giants are 2-7 with the under-achiever.— mtairy1- Why were no Giants plunked by a pitch in the bottom of the inning? They needed to get that over last night. Now Cole will have to send the message today. Phillies need a win today to send the real message.
— Ssteve115 - Nothing that Bochy does will change the fact that he lost to the Phils in '80 and was humiliated by Pete Rose. When we whip his a** this year in the playoffs it will put a lid on all this.— mick-of-the-moment
- This game is a sure indicator that the giants are scared of the Phillies. So don't let them of the hook "Let's hit'em now why we got the muscle!"— male
- Anyone else remember the Hagan piece a week and half ago featuring the "dissenting" opinion on the then speculated Pence deal? The guy Hagan quoted was named Rob Plummer who, was referred to initially as a scout? Well, I knew that piece was bunk then and proud that Pence stepped in a performed exactly as expected...Well done, Rube. Plummer where are you now?— Special Agent Fox Mulder
- I think JRolls steal of second was the trigger , it was the last thing that happened right before Shane got drilled— frisch16
- Bochy's the the guy Pete Rose ran over like like a steam roller on asphalt. Still resents the Phillies.— ACBaughman
- It's simple....Whiteside is a punk......without his jumping around like a kid and his attempted and embarrassing attempt to tackle Polanco this confrontation would have been nothing more than a typical staredown at the mound!— PhiEagleII
