Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Nick Castellanos stays hot in Phillies win over Blue Jays

Nick Castellanos was excellent in a Phillies win over Toronto. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Phillies 8, Blue Jays 4

Thanks to a solid Aaron Nola outing along with a monster game from Nick Castellanos (3-for-4 with a single, double and home run), the Phillies held on after a dicey seventh inning to take the first of two against the Toronto Blue Jays by a final of 8-4.

The Phillies (17-19) will look to sweep the short series on Wednesday. Zack Wheeler will take the mound against Kevin Gausman.

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After nearly getting drilled in the face with a fastball on the previous pitch, Castellanos rebounded and slapped a home run to left that stayed fair to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. He rounded the bases and greeted his son Liam, who was seated behind home plate in the Diamond Club.

The Phillies scored another run in the fifth on an RBI single from Trea Turner. Brandon Marsh, who was running on the play, scored all the way from first. Third base coach Dusty Wathan gave Marsh the green light and the ball came to second base from the outfield with Turner halfway between first and second. Marsh was able to score easily and Turner advanced to second on an errant throw.

Two more runs scored in the sixth on a J.T. Realmuto sacrifice fly and Edmundo Sosa RBI single. It turned out to be two badly needed insurance runs considering what would happen next.

Things started to get ugly for the Phillies in the seventh. With a 5-2 lead and two runners on, Sernathony Domínguez got Bo Bichette to hit a ground ball to first. Alec Bohm thought of getting an out at first, but he hesitated and threw over to Domínguez, who completely missed the ball. A run scored and it set up first and second for Vlad Guerrero Jr., who was hit by a pitch.

Gregory Soto came in with the bases loaded. He struck out the pinch hitter George Springer on three pitches, hit Matt Chapman to score a run that made it 5-4 and got another pinch hitter Danny Jansen to ground out to third to end the inning.

Marsh’s two-run double along with an RBI fielder’s choice from Bryson Stott expanded the Phils’ lead to four heading into the ninth. Craig Kimbrel sealed the victory in the ninth.

Shibe Vintage Sports Notes

Kyle Schwarber left the game following the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his foot. X-rays were negative on Schwarber. The Phillies said he left the game with a “left foot contusion.”
Connor Brogdon was outstanding in the eighth inning. He needed just ten pitches to retire the side and earn a very important hold.
The Phillies have sold out all five of its games this homestand. The announced attendance for Tuesday’s game was 44,544.

Nola has thrown six innings in each of his last five starts. He finished the game with two earned runs allowed on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. He threw 86 pitches.
This was the 16th time in Castellanos’ career he has come a triple shy of the cycle. It was his first such game as a Phillie.

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