Top 5 Phillies moments in Citizens Bank Park history

It seems like yesterday that we were imploding the Vet and christening Citizens Bank Park to usher in a new era of Philadelphia Phillies baseball. But it's now been over two decades, and CBP has built a legacy all its own. From the semi-dynasty era during the ballpark's infant stages to a resurgence over the past few years, the home club has authored a number of memorable moments. It's worth taking a fresh look and counting down the top five that put a collective smile on the faces of Phillies Nation.

But first, some honorable mentions and near-misses, in no particular order.

Aug. 9, 2023: Michael Lorenzen twirls one of the unlikeliest no-hitters you'll ever see in just his second start for the Phillies after coming over at the trade deadline. It's hard to believe that two months later, he wouldn't even factor into the club's postseason pitching plans.

Oct. 4, 2023: Bryson Stott's grand slam ends the Marlins' season as the Phillies cruise to a 7-1 victory to win their best-of-3 Wild Card Series.

Aug. 15, 2019: Speaking of salamis, who can forget Bryce Harper's epic, Roy Hobbs-esque bomb to defeat the Cubs? Yes, he had been with the team for four months at that point, but this essentially served as his "Welcome to Philadelphia" moment.

Oct. 14, 2022: Rhys Hoskins absolutely obliterates a pitch from Spencer Strider to propel the Phillies to a pivotal 9-1 win in Game 3 of their NL Division Series. Hoskins' bat spike became immediately poster-worthy and endeared him to many fans.

Oct. 12, 2023: Nick Castellanos tags Strider for a pair of home runs to help the Phils to a 3-1 win in the clinching game of their series. Some say that Strider intentionally got hurt this season so that he wouldn't suffer a third straight playoff flameout against the Phillies.

This is actually going on for too long, so let's also tip our caps to Shane Victorino's seismic grand slam against CC Sabathia in the 2008 playoffs, Aaron Rowand's face-splitting catch, Jimmy Rollins' thrilling walkoff hit in the 2009 NLCS, and Joe Blanton's bomb in Game 4 of the 2008 World Series. There really are too many to mention, so let's move into the official top five.

No. 5: The Phillies return to the playoffs, Sept. 30, 2007

For the 2007 Phillies, their season was shaping up just like many of their previous ones. They were decent and stayed in the race, but ultimately they wouldn't be good enough to get the club back to the postseason for the first time since the fabled but extremely distant 1993 season.

Jimmy Rollins inexplicably proclaimed the Phillies to be "the team to beat" in the NL East before the season, and he was made to eat his words for much of the campaign, as the Phillies always stayed a few games back but did not feel like a threat. Things reached a low point on Sept. 12 when the Rockies thrashed the Phillies 12-0. The Phils were 7.0 games back with 17 to play.

It was over. Or maybe not, because a funny thing happened. The Phillies got hot, and the division-leading Mets went ice cold.

The Phillies won 12 of their next 16, which set up a final day scenario where if the two teams either both won or both lost, they'd have a one-game playoff. If one of them won their clash and the other lost, it was over. And so Phillies fans were rooting hard not only for their team, but for the Marlins, who were visiting Tom Glavine and the Mets that afternoon. And what an afternoon it was.

Glavine, who had spurned the Phillies years earlier to sign a free agent deal with the Mets, allowed seven runs while recording a single out, essentially putting the result to bed even before the Phillies game started. And the fans were aware, setting up a party atmosphere at CBP that day, with a "win and in" anticipation hanging over the festivities.

Jamie Moyer held the visiting Nationals to one run in 5 1/3 innings pitched, the bullpen did its job, and Ryan Howard provided the final exclamation point with a seventh-inning home run. With the Phils ahead 6-1, Brett Myers entered in the ninth inning with a chance to send the Phillies back to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, and he did.

The Phillies probably didn't get enough credit for the comeback, as most of the media focus was on the Mets' collapse, which some say finally let the 1964 Phillies off the hook for the biggest choke job down the stretch in MLB history. Hey, we'll take it.

No. 3: The Phillies are 2008 World Series Champions, Oct. 29, 2008

You probably think putting the team's World Series-clinching moment at No. 3 on this list is crazy, but here we are.

After being unceremoniously swept by Colorado in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, the Phillies nevertheless seemed to be on the right track to compete for years to come. And while hardly anyone expected things to break the right way the very next season, that's what makes it so fun. Just like the previous year, they overcame the Mets in September, although this was a much milder collapse by Big Apple standards. (Cole Hamels still twisted the knife a few months later, though.)

The Phillies finished with 92 wins and met the Brewers in the first round. They took that series 3-1, then finished off the Dodgers 4-1 in the NLCS to set up a World Series date with the Tampa Bay Rays, who had done the Phillies a favor by upsetting the Red Sox in the ALCS.

For once, it felt like the Phillies were in the driver's seat and a championship was in their grasp. They took full advantage, winning three of the first four games to set up a chance to clinch in Game 5, which would be their final home game of the series.

It's a well-worn bit of Phillies history that every fan knows, but Game 5 began on October 27, 2008 only to be delayed two days by torrential rains, which set up a unique "sprint to the finish" scenario in a tied game. Thanks to big hits from the likes of Geoff Jenkins, Pat Burrell (in his final Phillies game), and Pedro Feliz, the Phillies jumped back on top and they led 4-3 after eight innings. It was Brad Lidge time.

After a regular season where Lidge converted all 41 of his save opportunities, he had been a perfect 6-for-6 thus far in the playoffs, locking down the majority of the Phillies' 10 victories to that point. With a man on second base and two outs, Eric Hinske stepped in to face Lidge, with tens of thousands at Citizens Bank Park and millions more at home on the edge of their seats, waiting to erase a quarter-century of playoff misery in Philadelphia sports.

Take it away, Harry.

And just like that, a generation of Philadelphia fans had their first title.

No. 2: Bryce Harper cements his legend, Oct. 23, 2022

The Phillies didn't seem like the most likely winner of the Bryce Harper sweepstakes prior to the 2019 season, but imagine where the franchise would be if it didn't happen.

Things came together in a big way in 2021, with Harper winning the NL MVP. But a postseason appearance had eluded him during his first three seasons in town. People were starting to question if he could truly earn his reputation and carry a team. 2022 provided him the opportunity to silence any doubters.

The Phillies kicked things off that October by winning a pair of games in St. Louis to send Albert Pujols into retirement, with Harper connecting for a big home run in Game 2. Harper stayed hot in the next round against the Braves, going 8-for-16 with a pair of homers to lead the Phils to a surprising 3-1 series win.

The Padres awaited in the NLCS, and Harper was good again, helping the Phillies to build a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

It all led up to the bottom of the eighth in Game 5, with the Phillies trailing 3-2. J.T. Realmuto started the inning with a single off of Friars hurler Robert Suarez to bring Harper to the plate. What followed was perhaps the most dramatic moment in the 140-year history of the franchise.

The rest of the game was a blur, and you could be forgiven for glossing over the fact that Ranger Suárez had to rescue the game in the top of ninth to preserve the win.

"Bedlam at the Bank" was an all-timer, a defining (and deafening) moment that is Exhibit A of his Cooperstown credentials and which Phillies fans will point to for generations to come. This is statue-worthy material, folks. Maybe someday. If only they had been able to finish the job in the World Series...

No. 1: Chase Utley's speech for the ages, Oct. 31, 2008

Yep, the greatest "moment" in Citizens Bank Park history didn't even occur in a game. You may have noticed that this list covered Bryce Harper, Jimmy Rollins, Roy Halladay, and a slew of other great Phillies.

But one man has been conspicuously absent. And not just any man, but THE MAN himself, Chase Utley. Arguably the most popular and flat-out best Phillies player during the Citizens Bank Park era, Utley had a few signature moments during his career, but he marked his time in baseball by simply doing everything well every day.

Utley was the epitome of a gamer or a grinder or whatever you want to call it, a talented player who hustled and mostly remained stoic because you could tell how seriously he took his profession. He oozed Philadelphia, which is odd since he's a California guy. Nevertheless, it was a match made in heaven between him and the city.

The one knock on Utley, if such a thing could be said, is that he rarely let his personality shine through. But that all changed forever on Oct. 31, 2008, at the Phillies' World Series parade. Likely aided by more than a few beverages, Utley delivered a speech — if you could call it that — as part of the parade's final stop at Citizens Bank Park.

Nobody remembers much of what he or anyone else said that day except for three words that came out of Utley's mouth. You know them, and we certainly can't repeat them here. Just as Jason Kelce did at a championship parade nearly a decade later, Chase Utley moved to legend status that day. And, for my money, he delivered the best Phillies moment in Citizens Bank Park to date.