Nick Castellanos' Historic Night Powers Philadelphia Phillies Back to the NLCS

For the second year in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies bested the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS to move one step closer to the World Series.

The Phillies were able to come away with a 3-1 victory in Game 4 thanks in no small part to right fielder Nick Castellanos' showing at the plate. The slugger powered Philadelphia to a Game 3 win on Wednesday with two home runs, and he replicated that performance on Thursday.

Castellanos went yard twice in the series-clincher, first with a game-tying solo shot in the fourth, then again to provide some insurance in the sixth. The second one, accentuated by Castellanos' straight-faced bat flip, sent the crowd at Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Castellanos became the first player in postseason history to record back-to-back multi-home run games.

THE FIRST PLAYER IN POSTSEASON HISTORY WITH BACK-TO-BACK MULTI-HR GAMES

!! https://t.co/BeZfE5JGip
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 13, 2023

There have now been five players to post two multi-home run games in a single postseason, according to Langs.

The Phillies now account for three of the five players on that list, as Jayson Werth and Chase Utley both accomplished the feat in 2009. Castellanos and Utley are two of the three players to do so in a single series.

players with 2 multi-HR games in a single postseason:

2023 Nick Castellanos
2009 Jayson Werth
2009 Chase Utley
2002 Troy Glaus
1980 Willie Aikens

Castellanos, Utley (WS) & Aikens (WS) did it in a single SERIES
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 13, 2023

Castellanos' second home run came on a 100.0-mile-per-hour pitch. Per Langs, that is the fifth-fastest pitch hit for a home run in the postseason since pitch tracking began in 2008.

Castellanos’ HR came on a 100.0 mph pitch, 5th-fastest hit for a PS HR under pitch-tracking (2008), behind only:

2011 ALCS G5 Cruz v Verlander: 100.6 mph
2020 ALCS G4 Altuve v Glasnow: 100.4 mph
2022 NLWC G2 Grisham v deGrom: 100.3 mph
2020 ALDS G5 Brosseau v Chapman: 100.2 mph https://t.co/HrScGdggws
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 13, 2023

Castellanos hit .272 with 29 home runs, 106 RBI and a .788 OPS in the regular season this year.

Across his first nine seasons in the majors – which he spent with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds – Castellanos was not part of a single playoff win. The outfielder joined the Phillies last season, and while he was a part of a Philadelphia team that made it all the way to the World Series, he hit just .185 with no home runs and a .478 OPS along the way.

Through six playoff appearances in 2023, Castellanos is now batting .391 with a 1.440 OPS.

Castellanos and the Phillies open the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. The winner of that series will meet either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros in the World Series.

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