shane victorino

Manny Ramirez and Dodgers teammate Hiroki Kuroda were among four players fined Monday by Major League Baseball for the Game 3 fracas between Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Phillies during the NL championship series.

Kuroda threw a pitch behind Shane Victorino's head in the third inning Sunday, apparently retaliation for Philadelphia's Brett Myers throwing behind Ramirez in Game 2.

Both benches and bullpens cleared Sunday night in Game 3 of the NL championship series, moments after Los Angeles Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch over Shane Victorino's head.

Plate umpire Mike Everitt immediately warned both teams following Kuroda's third-inning pitch, apparently an attempt to retaliate for Philadelphia's Brett Myers throwing behind Manny Ramirez in Game 2.

1. The most important Dodger in the NLCS may turn out to be Hong-Chih Kuo, their lockdown lefthanded reliever who is needed against the balanced Philadelphia lineup.

Los Angeles had no need for a lefty against the righthanded-heavy Cubs; the Dodgers played Chicago 10 times this year without having a lefthander throw a single pitch.

But with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, switch-hitters Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino and bench players Greg Dobbs, Geoff Jenkins and Matt Stairs, the Phillies present big-time trouble from the left side.

The turning point? No, it wasn't Shane Victorino's jaw-dropping grand slam in the second inning. No, it wasn't Prince Fielder's feeble groundout in the eighth with two men on in a three-run game.

No, here was the turning point of Game 2: Phillies starting pitcher Brett Myers -- at the plate -- staring down CC Sabathia during an epic at-bat in the fateful second inning, the white-towel waving fans roaring after every pitch.

There was Myers, fighting off a killer 79-mph slider. There was Myers, swatting away a 97-mph heater.