Phillies return to NLCS for second straight year with Game 4 win over Braves
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 12: Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves during Game Four of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on Octobe
PHILADELPHIA - Nick Castellanos hit two home runs for the second night in a row to help the Phillies close out the NLDS over the Atlanta Braves in four games.
Castellano's assault against Braves pitching continued in the 4th inning when he crunched a 404-foot homer to left field that erased an early Braves lead.
The frenzied crowd at Citizens Bank Park came with a little extra juice in Game 4, throwing jeers at Braves' starter Spencer Strider for his past comments on crowd noise.
Strider and Phillies' starter Ranger Suarez toiled into the 5th. Suarez retired the first eight batters he faced and allowed 1 run on an Austin Riley 4th inning home run.
Trea Turner broke the 1-1 deadlock in the 5th with his second home run in as many nights. Turner finished the game with four hits and a triple short of the cycle.
An inning later, Nick Castellanos turned around a 100 MPH Strider fastball 415-feet to left field to push the Philadelphia's lead to 3-1.
The Braves best chance to climb back into the game came in the 7th inning when Jose Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel walked three straight batters. The threat was snuffed out when Johan Rojas made a leaping catch at the warning track on a deep drive from NL MVP front-runner Ronald Acuna Jr. to preserve the 3-1 lead.
Down to their last three outs, the team with the best record in baseball staged a rally that started with a lead-off walk by Marcell Ozuna and a chopper through a vacant right side of the infield by Braves' catcher Sean Murphy. Matt Strahm relieved Gregory Soto and retired the next three batters to send the Phillies to the NLCS for the second straight year.
The Phillies' path to the victory was tinged with concern when Bryce Harper collided with Braves slugger Matt Olson while recording an out at first base. Olson's knee appeared to slam into Harper's right elbow, the same area where Harper had Tommy John Surgery nearly a year ago.
Harper briefly went to the Phillies' clubhouse for evaluation in the bottom of the 8th, and returned to the dugout a short time later. Harper remained in the game in the game to play first base in the top of the 8th.
The upstart Arizona Diamondbacks await the Phillies in the championship series, which starts on Monday in Philadelphia. Neither team has announced a Game 1 starter, but logic suggests Camden County native Zac Gallen will throw for the D-Backs, and the Phillies will counter with their ace Zack Wheeler.