Larry Henry Jr
Cover Photo Credit: Philadelphia Phillies
Nick Castellanos stepped up in a major way for the Philadelphia Phillies in their advancement to the 2023 National League Championship Series on Thursday night and the right fielder followed that up by voicing his commitment to the franchise and city.
Castellanos, who made MLB history in Thursday’s 3-1 series-clinching win over the Atlanta Braves, was interviewed by TBS’ crew following the Game 4 victory at Citizens Bank Park. The former Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers outfielder became the first MLB player to register back-t0-back performances with two or more homeruns, helping the Phillies set up an NLCS showdown with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Castellanos was asked by TBS’ Greg Amsinger about his perfect pairing to the Phillies franchise both on and off the field, which promoted a surprising remark on live TV from the 31-year-old.
âI mean, yeah, I fâ with Philly,â said an honest Castellanos on the live broadcast.
We must protect Nick Castellanos at all costs pic.twitter.com/SQwOJHgGhT
â Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 13, 2023
The Florida native is in his second season with the Phillies, having signed in 2022 on a five-year, $100 million deal. Castellanos endured some rough moments during his first campaign in Philadelphia, but has been stellar of late during the postseason.
After registering only 13 homers and 62 RBI’s in 2022, Castellanos improved his statistics this past regular season, totaling 29 homers and 106 RBI’s in the Phillies lineup. His batting average improved from .263 to .272 while his slugging percentage also jumped from .389 to .476.
Castellanos’ postseason heroics against the Braves will certainly have manager Rob Thomson and Phillies fans excited for what’s to come against the current undefeated (5-0) Diamondbacks.
Game 1 will take place on Monday, October 16 at Citizens Bank Park with first pitch scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET.
You can follow Larry Henry on Twitter (@lhenry019) and e-mail him at [email protected].
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