Philadelphia Phillies sealed their spot in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) with a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the National League Division Series (NLDS). For the second consecutive year, the Phillies upset their higher-seeded division rival in the NLDS.
Nick Castellanos was the standout player, hitting two home runs in this game. Castellanos became the first player in MLB history to produce back-to-back multi-homer games in the postseason. He now has three home runs in the series.
Philadelphia’s Trea Turner also made a significant contribution, going 4-for-4 with a solo home run that provided the winning run.
Ranger Suarez pitched effectively for the Phillies, allowing just one run on three hits in five innings. Spencer Strider, the Braves’ ace, gave up all three of the Phillies’ home runs in the game.
The Braves, who boasted the best regular season record in baseball at 104-58, were eliminated from the NLDS for the second year in a row. Despite their strong regular season performance, they struggled to score in the playoffs, managing just eight runs in four games.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson, both MVP candidates, had a challenging series, going 6-for-30 with only one extra-base hit and no RBIs between them.
Philadelphia will now face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS, with Game 1 set for Monday. The Phillies are looking to advance to the World Series and build on their strong postseason performance.
Castellanos, who had his son, Liam, present for the series, spoke about the significance of sharing these moments with his family.
“Baseball is my job, and it takes me away from him more than I would like it to,” Castellanos said. “So for him to be able to be next to me and witness all of it, I think, is good for his maturation in the future.”
The Phillies will be hoping to continue their postseason success and potentially secure a World Series berth.
