Home of the Braves: Phillies, Castellanos bounce Atlanta from the NLDS for second straight season

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 12: Nick Castellanos, #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies, hits a home run in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves during Game 4 of the National League Division Series held at Citizens Bank Park. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA (CC) - Phillies outfielder and third baseman Nick Castellanos lived his moment for life, on Thursday night, when he became the first player in Major League Baseball postseason history to hit two home runs in back-to-back games.

“These are moments I’m never going to forget,” he said after the game.

The bopper led Philly to a 3-1 victory over Atlanta in Game 4 of their NL Division Series, sealing a 3-1 series victory, bouncing the bodacious Atlanta Braves, their NL East homeboys and rivals, out of the playoffs for the second straight season.

The Braves finished with the best record in baseball this season at 104-58, slugging their way to one of the top years, statistically, in MLB team history.

They hit 307 home runs, tying Minnesota's major league season record set in 2019. They also set a major league record by posting a .501 slugging percentage.

They led the majors in just about every offensive statistic, including scoring 5.85 runs per game. But in the NLDS, they scored just eight total runs.

Atlanta's First baseman, Matt Olson, led the majors in two categories by hitting 54 home runs with 139 RBIs.

Likely NL MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr., bopped 41 homers, stole 73 bases, batted .337 with 106 RBIs. But he went 0-for-4 in the clincher, and batted only .143 in the four games.

Meanwhile, the game-breaking Phillies ran a similar route from 2022 to reach the 2023 NLCS. They swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the Wild Card Series last year, and the Miami Marlins this season.

Then they won Game 1 and lost Game 2 in Atlanta, stealing home-field advantage.

Playing at home, in Game 3, they scored six runs in the third inning of a route, planting Atlanta's pitching staff on its proverbial face.

Castellanos and the Phils will now face the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the NL Championship Series starting Monday, for the right to represent the NL in the World Series.