Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) participates in post game interviews after the game against the New York Mets uring game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Kyle Ross
Nick Castellanos' Sunday — and the Phillies', for that matter — appeared to be bordering on disaster in the bottom of the fourth inning. Castellanos swung and missed badly at two pitches out of the zone. He then laid off a third pitch out of the zone, and heard sarcastic cheers from the crowd at Citizens Bank Park. Right before grounding out for the second out of the inning, Castellanos didn't seem to appreciate the reaction from the crowd.
Did Nick Castellanos say “these fucking people” here?
📹: @MLBONFOX pic.twitter.com/LIiMEY1XJF
Instead, Game 2 of the NLDS turned into the latest chapter in a comically bizarre career full of peaks and valleys, with Sunday going into the former category.
Specifically, Castellanos' NLCS resume has been full of incredibly successful moments.
Castellanos struggled mightily in his first season with the Phillies, but still managed to show out in Game 1 of the 2022 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. Not only did he go 3-for-5 with three RBIs, but he made a sliding catch in the ninth inning to help Zach Eflin and the Phillies hold onto a 1-0 victory in his first career postseason game:
In the 2023 NLDS, Castellanos became the first player in MLB history to record consecutive multi-home run games, doing so in Games 3 and 4 of the series against the Braves:
Castellanos didn't record a hit in his first two at-bats Sunday, but then followed up a titanic home run by Bryce Harper with a game-tying blast of his own, racing around the bases as Citizens Bank Park reached perhaps the highest decibel levels it ever has:
The Bank is rockin! Casty HR 🤟 pic.twitter.com/UudwDj7XVy
With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, Castellanos followed a one-out walk by Harper with a single into right field. He and Harper would score the go-ahead runs on a two-run triple by Bryson Stott, who celebrated his 27th birthday in an incredible fashion.
The birthday boy comes through! pic.twitter.com/6rgukvSjYp
When asked postgame when he knew he was going to score on the Stott triple, Castellanos responded back with a succinct answer: "As soon as he hit it."
To their credit, the Mets continued to battle and tied the game on a Mark Vientos home run off of Matt Strahm in the top of the ninth, the second home run in the game for the emerging star third baseman.
In the home half of the ninth inning, though, both Trea Turner and Harper reached base. Castellanos got into a 1-2 hole against Tylor Megill, but roped the game-winning hit down the left field line, plating Turner and bringing an end to one of the greatest games in the 20-year history of Citizens Bank Park:
Scott Franzke radio call of the walk-off.
📹: @_piccone
pic.twitter.com/7P0DAe1l2a
"I was just trying to do the best I can to slow the game down, really to get a pitch in the zone," Castellanos said. "You know, I dug myself in a hole pretty quickly, and after that it was not making any decisions before I like fully recognized the pitch. And then I was able to do a good job."
It was the fifth walk-off of the season for Castellanos. It was the latest entry into what has to be one of the greatest NLDS resumes of all-time. They don't build statues based off of NLDS performances, but to win a World Series, you need to get there. And in three consecutive seasons now, Castellanos has thrived in the NLDS setting.
