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SAN FRANCISCO -- The rivalry between the Phillies and San Francisco Giants raged to a boil Friday night.
Both benches emptied and the infield turned into a large wrestling mat after Giants reliever Ramon Ramirez plunked Shane Victorino with a pitch in the top of the sixth inning of the Phillies 9-2 win at AT&T Park.
Victorino was hit in the lower back moments after the Phillies scored three runs against Ramirez, two on a single by Jimmy Rollins, to go ahead, 8-2.
Victorino was hit with a first-pitch fastball that registered 92 mph on the stadium radar gun. There was no doubt in the Phillies clubhouse that Ramirez hit Victorino on purpose.
He was getting hit around and he got mad and he was going to plug someone, manager Charlie Manuel said.
Right in your back, bro, winning pitcher Vance Worley said. I definitely think he smoked him.
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Ramirez was not available to reporters after the game.
Victorino believed he was hit on purpose. After the plunking, he started to walk toward the mound and Ramirez moved toward the plate. Victorino was intercepted by home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski while Giants catcher Eli Whiteside moved toward the mound and readied himself for a fight. Whiteside tackled Placido Polanco as he moved to the center of the infield.
He hit Vic and came off the mound, Manuel said of Ramirez. At that point, Vic almost has to go unless he wants to be called a chicken by his teammates. Thats the way baseball works. Ramirez pretty much called him out.
Victorino said it was not his intention to charge the mound.
I had no intention of charging, Victorino said. I just wanted to know why he was around the plate all night and then the first pitch is at my back. I just wanted an answer.
Once tempers flared, Victorino had to be held back by Muchlinski. Eventually Victorino pushed Muchlinski aside and darted into the scrum. Hitting coach Greg Gross then restrained Victorino before he broke free again and launched himself into the middle of the fracas.
Victorino said he jumped back in because teammate Carlos Ruiz was being throttled by someone. Replays showed that Pablo Sandoval had a hold on Ruiz.
Victorino was ejected and could be headed for a suspension. Ramirez and Whiteside were also ejected.
Whiteside would not talk much about the melee after the game.
"I just called for a fastball inside, he said. It was a little too far inside.
Whiteside added that he didn't think any Phillies player did anything to warrant the plunking.
Moments before Victorino was hit, Rollins stole second with his team up by six runs.
I wouldnt have done that, Giants outfielder Carlos Beltran said.
Rollins always has a green light to run. Manuel has the authority to put a hold on Rollins, but he did not in this case.
Victorino said Rollins had every right to steal.
It was the sixth inning, he said. They can hit. To me it wasnt a bad play. They can score six runs in a hurry.
Neither Manuel nor San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy would acknowledge any bad blood between the clubsIts baseball, youre competing, Bochy saidbut there has appeared to be some for a while and the Friday Night Fight confirmed it.
The dislike between the two teams may have started two years ago when Giants pitcher Jonathan Sanchez whistled a pitch over Chase Utleys head. Utley stared Sanchez down before hitting a home run. Last year, Sanchez hit Utley with pitches three times, including once in the National League Championship Series. The two exchanged words after Utley reached first base and the benches clearled briefly before order was restored.
The rivalry was stoked again in Philadelphia last week when Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum took exception with Manuels saying that the Giants pitching staff was good but not great.
Sanchez was back on the mound Friday night and the Phillies whacked him for seven hits, including a two-run home run by John Mayberry Jr., and five runs in 4 23 innings.
The Phils built their lead to 8-2 in the sixth when Ramirez plunked Victorino.
Theres a lot of emotion, Victorino said. These are two good teams. I hope its squashed and we can move on. Im not going to hold any grudges.
Both managers agreed with that sentiment.
"Hey, it's baseball, Bochy said. It happened fast and tempers flared. It's part of the game. It's good that nobody got hurt.
Its pretty much said and done now, Manuel said. Its over.
The mood in the Phillies clubhouse after the game was upbeat and lively. There were a lot of laughs as players recounted the rumble. That will happen when youve won eight games in a row, as the Phillies have.
The Giants postgame clubhouse was more subdued. They have lost seven of their last eight games, including two straight to the Phillies.
The two teams play again Saturday and Sunday.
It should be a very interesting weekend.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com