Top five moments of Shane Victorino’s Phillies career
By John Town
No. 2: 2008 NLCS
Shane Victorino obviously had a huge impact throughout the 2008 World Series run, but the National League Championship Series was the biggest for him. He had huge moments throughout the series to help secure the moment.
In Game Two, Victorino drove in four runs with a two-run single and two-run triple. With runners on first and third and the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh, Casey Blake hit a deep fly ball into center field that could have brought the game within one. Instead, Victorino made a leaping catch in the deepest part of center field to end the inning. The final score held as the Phillies took a 2-0 lead in the series with an 8-5 win.
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Game Three was the only one the Phillies lost, but it was still eventful. Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch near Victorino’s head, forcing him to duck out of the way. He popped back up and appeared to tell Kuroda to throw at his ribs, not at his head. After Victorino grounded out to end the inning, the benches cleared as Victorino and Kuroda continued to jaw at each other.
Victorino got his revenge the next night. Game Four of the NLCS is remembered for Matt Stairs’ home run deep into the night, but Victorino was the one who set it up with a game-tying, two-run home run of his own. The Dodgers stayed away from him in Game Five, intentionally walking him twice in the series finale.
Victorino drove in two runs and scored once in the World Series, but it was his performance in the NLCS in 2008 that really stood out.