Nick Castellanos reversed a season of frustration against Atlanta on Tuesday to help the Philadelphia Phillies stun the host Braves 7-6 in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.
The right fielder, who hit just .191 in 12 games against Atlanta during the regular season, went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and a run. He also made a long sliding catch in the ninth inning to save a likely double.
Castellanos had gone hitless in the NL wild-card series against St. Louis, but on Tuesday he sparked a 12-hit attack. Bryce Harper was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk and Jean Segura went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
The Braves made it close in the ninth when Matt Olson hit a three-run homer to straightaway center field against Zach Eflin. But the right-hander got the next two outs to preserve the win.
Olson was 2-for-3, scoring two runs and driving in three, and Travis d’Arnaud went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double and three RBIs.
The Phillies roughed up the Atlanta ace Max Fried (0-1) for a season-high six runs (four earned) on eight hits, one walk and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.
Philadelphia starter Ranger Suarez pitched around trouble throughout his 3 1/3 innings, giving up only one run on three hits, five walks and five strikeouts. The winning pitcher was Andrew Bellatti (0-1), the first of six relievers used.
The Phillies scored twice with two outs in the first inning after consecutive singles by J.T. Realmuto and Harper, with Castellanos and Alec Bohm hitting RBI singles.
d’Arnaud hit a solo homer in the second inning to cut the lead to 2-1.
Philadelphia added two more runs in the third on Bohm’s sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Segura.
The Phillies scored twice in the fourth on Castellanos’ two-out single and added another run in the fifth on Edmundo Sosa’s sacrifice fly.
Atlanta cut the lead to 7-3 in the fifth on a two-run double by d’Arnaud.
The Atlanta bats struggled in key situations, going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine runners on base.
–Field Level Media