Career-defining performance from Nick Castellanos helps Phillies to steal Game 1

Final Score: Phillies 7, Braves 6

Games 2 and 3 of the NLDS felt like the Phillies’ best opportunities to make something happen against the Braves. Zack Wheeler gives the team a chance against anyone in Game 2, and Aaron Nola could be facing off against a restricted Spencer Strider — or someone other than Strider altogether — in a home Game 3. 

The Phillies will enter that two-game stretch with an advantage. 

After the Braves lefty had gone at least five innings in every start of the regular season, the Phillies knocked Max Fried out of Game 1 after just 3 ⅓ innings on Tuesday, ultimately charging six runs to Atlanta’s ace’s line. It gave them a 6-1 early lead, largely fueled by a Nick Castellanos re-emergence, that eventually stretched to 7-1. 

Despite a Ranger Suárez not at his sharpest and some tense moments in between that moment and the final out, the Phillies held on for a 1-0 NLDS lead against the 101-win Braves.

The series will at worst be tied before the Phillies’ first home playoff game in 11 years.

Castellanos Comes Alive

Before the game, there was a reasonable case to be made that Nick Castellanos shouldn’t have been in the Game 1 starting lineup — perhaps, even, off the roster altogether, name and contract aside. 

But the Phillies remained men of faith in the struggling righty, penciling him fifth once again. They were hoping for a reawakening. 

They were hoping for exactly what Tuesday provided. 

Castellanos gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the first with a two-out single that dropped just in front of Ronald Acuña Jr. out in right:

Then in the third, the $100 million man cranked a ball off the wall in right field, putting himself and J.T. Realmuto in scoring position before an Alec Bohm sacrifice fly and a Jean Segura single brought them both home:

And finally, after swinging at the first pitch in each of those at bats, Castellanos hit a 1-1 single into right for a 6-1 fourth-inning lead:

It was a great time for his first three-hit, three-RBI game as a Phillie. And as we’ll get to in a minute, his biggest play might have come in the field.

Two-Out Magic

Though it may not have always felt like it, the Phillies thrived in the regular season with runners in scoring position, and they did again on Tuesday — particularly with two outs. 

They scored their first two runs of the ballgame with two-out singles in the first inning — the latter two of four consecutive knocks. Realmuto and Bryce Harper set the table before Castellanos and Alec Bohm ate:

Then in the third, a Max Fried throwing error put Realmuto on to lead off a rally that culminated in a Segura two-out RBI:

Castellanos’ second RBI second of the day (and third hit) gave the Phillies a 6-1 lead in a fourth-inning rally fueled by a Rhys Hoskins double, putting two in scoring position.

Counting those five, plus two runs on Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa sacrifice flies that technically scored a run with two outs, all seven of the Phillies’ Game 1 scoring came with two away.

Domínguez Leads A Solid Phillies Bullpen … Minus One Blip

October baseball is weird. Weird to the degree that a 3 ⅓-inning, one-run outing from your Game 1 starter isn’t necessarily horrible. 

Especially if your bullpen throws like the Phillies’ did in relief of Ranger Suárez. 

Andrew Bellatti relieved the Phils’ southpaw with one on in the fourth, eventually striking out Dansby Swanson with two men on to end the inning. 

Connor Brogdon’s struggles continued in the bottom of the fifth. Two walks and two doubles had the lead down to 7-3 … 

… before Brad Hand (with the help of Matt Vierling) stopped the bleeding.

But the star of the show was Seranthony Domínguez. The righty flamethrower, who’d struggled to close the regular season before providing signs of life in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, struck out four batters across two perfect innings in the sixth and seventh.

Following a perfect eighth from José Alvarado, Zach Eflin came on to finish the game off. Recently converted to a reliever, Eflin didn’t turn the lights out, allowing a three-run home run from Matt Olson to put the Braves within one:

But, of all people, Castellanos turned the lights out with his glove, making an insane defensive play to record the second out of the ninth:

Eflin would ultimately induce a groundout from the red-hot Travis d’Aranud to close the game out.

With Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola slated to start the next two games, the Phillies managed to steal a win on the road.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Wednesday, October 12 vs. Atlanta Braves (Game 2 of NLDS)
• 4:35 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
• Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP, WTTM1680 (Esp.), ESPN

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