Phillies win 3-1 to complete four-game NLDS win over Braves
Castellanos hits two homers to cap historic two-game surge
The 104-win Atlanta Braves were eliminated from the postseason for the second time in a row on Thursday night when the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in Game 4 of their NL Division Series, with Nick Castellanos becoming the first player to smash multiple home runs in consecutive postseason games.
With runners at the corners, Matt Strahm struck out pinch-hitter Vaughn Grissom to seal the series and send the Phillies running onto the field in a frenzy of joy. The Liberty Bell rang, fireworks burst at a wild Citizens Bank Park, and the defending National League Champions were primed to explode corks once more
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I will always remember these moments, Castellanos declared.
After a collision in the eighth inning, Bryce Harper grasped his surgically repaired right elbow, giving the Phillies some worry. After a play at first base, Matt Olson’s left knee caught Harper’s elbow, ending the inning. After the medical professionals gave Harper a short checkup, the two-time NL MVP flexed his elbow. In the ninth inning, he continued to play.
“I’m OK. It just made me laugh,” Harper remarked following the match. I am okay.
The Phillies are attempting to win the World Series for the second time since 2008 thanks to a solo home run, two doubles, and two singles from Trea Turner in the fifth inning.
They will play the Arizona Diamondbacks in an all-wild-card NL Championship Series the following week, traveling there for the first time since 2007. Monday is the first game in Philadelphia.
Castellanos declared, There’s no doubt about it—we feel good. Nevertheless, we will undoubtedly show respect for the opposition.
Once again, the Phillies overcame two scares to defeat the NL East champion Braves, who finished with the best record in baseball (104-58).
Before Harper got into the fray, rookie center fielder Johan Rojas ended the seventh inning with the bases loaded and made a fantastic play on defense by robbing Ronald Acuña Jr. of an extra-base hit that would have given Atlanta the lead.
Braves manager Brian Snitker stated, After the year we had and the expectations we have here, it takes a while to get over something like this. We were defeated by a very strong team that loves this time of year.
The Phillies followed the same route as they did a year ago to get to another NLCS: they started with a Wild Card Series sweep, then won Game 1 in Atlanta and lost Game 2. They are sporting throwback powder blue jerseys and maroon helmets, just like they wear them every Thursday at home. Similar to the previous season, the Phillies made their way back home and dominated Game 3 with six runs in the third inning.
Then, a year later, the Braves won 101 games during the regular season only to be dealt an early departure from the playoffs by Philadelphia, a recurrence of a torrent of home runs that heralded a knockout victory over their NL East foe.
Castellanos stated, The only thing I can say is that I’m learning that the season and the postseason are completely different.
It’s unlikely that Atlanta will take much solace from the fact that other top seeds from the regular season have already lost in these playoffs. The Braves, Orioles (101 wins), Dodgers (100), Rays (99), and Brewers (92)—the five clubs with the greatest regular-season records—all missed the postseason.
However, Castellanos was the star of the show tonight. The All-Star right fielder saw his output decline in the second half but rebound with his kid in the front row for the postseason.
Castellanos became the first Phillies slugger—in fact, any slugger in baseball history—to hit multiple home runs in back-to-back playoff games the night after he blasted two in Game 3.
Spencer Strider, the Braves starter and 20-game winner, eventually lost the game after his second one. With a 415-foot moonshot to the left in the sixth, Castellanos pursued Strider and put 45,831 spectators at Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy of waving towels. During the pitching change, Castellanos reveled in the applause, sticking his head out of the dugout and raising his arms to the growing number of Phillies supporters.
Castellanos continued to wave his arms toward the crowd as he headed to right field in the seventh with the Phillies up 3-1.
Manager Rob Thomson again turned to starter Ranger Suárez to keep the Phillies in the game until turning the game over to a parade of hard-throwers in the bullpen. The plan worked once in this series already. Suárez allowed just one hit through three and two-thirds innings in his Game 1 start before Thomson turned the game over to six relievers in a 3-0 win. In this one, Aaron Nola was successful in getting Suárez to bat at least twice through the lineup, but Zack Wheeler frequently overshadowed the pitcher.
The hard-throwing lefty buzzed through three hitless innings, hitting 95.3mph when he caught Sean Murphy looking to end the second, before Austin Riley homered in the fourth for a 1-0 Braves lead.
The early homer, the early deficit, rarely troubles these Phillies. They wait for their lineup, which is heavy on long balls, to come through, and for the second straight game, Castellanos tied the score at one with a solo shot. Castellanos socked one inside the left-field foul pole and pointed to his young son, Liam, as he crossed the plate.
Liam was a fixture at the ballpark for most of the summer and tagged along with Castellanos from the clubhouse to the All-Star Game. Liam had been absent from the ballpark once school resumed, but his dad has gushed about his presence this postseason.
Father, son, and all of Philadelphia—get at least one more round together.
