As the Phillies stumbled out of the All-Star break into the month of August, there was one consistent positive in a slumping lineup. He was cold throughout most of the second half of 2023 and first half of 2024, but when it seemed like nobody else was hitting this summer, Nick Castellanos was.
The Phillies lost 16 of their first 27 games out of the All-Star break but it was no fault of his — Castellanos hit .310 in 100 at-bats over that span with 11 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 15 RBI.
The lineup is now rounding back into form with 22 combined runs Saturday and Sunday, then Bryce Harper's best game in over a month in Monday's walk-off.
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Castellanos kept it going Tuesday night with a three-run homer off Justin Verlander in the third inning of a 5-0 Phillies win. With two outs, Verlander threw Castellanos an 0-1 curveball that stayed in the zone the entire time and was launched over the left-field wall, changing the game with one swing.
“I had a pretty good idea I was going to see an offspeed pitch at some point in the at-bat, I saw that curveball pretty early and hit it well,” Castellanos said.
“Just trying to do less almost because of the way the game is attacking me. I see more offspeed pitches than anyone in baseball. Taking what the game gives me, right?”
Castellanos has indeed seen a higher rate of non-fastballs than any hitter in baseball this season. It shouldn’t be a surprise because the low-and-away breaking ball has long been his weakness. But even when Castellanos was at his lowest point this season, flailing at unhittable pitches, manager Rob Thomson stuck with him. Castellanos has started every game this season.
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“We were in Cincinnati and I think I was probably hitting under .100 at that time and the question was do you need a couple days off to clear your head?” Castellanos recalled. “Topper told me on Opening Day after our batting practice, he said 162? And I just pointed back at him and nodded my head. Then for me to get off to a slow start and for him to stick to his word, as a player, now I know where he’s at.
“For a coaching staff, trust is the biggest thing you can have from your players. If you don’t feel like a manager has your back, that’s kinda uninspiring to lace up your cleats for.”
The Phils scored their first run just before Castellanos’ homer when Trea Turner singled in Austin Hays, who opened things with a double. It was a big at-bat by Hays to put a runner in scoring position for the top of the order and it was the kind of swing he needed. The Phillies are giving Hays a chance to play every day but he hasn't hit righties this season before or after arriving from Baltimore at the trade deadline. This was a step in the right direction.
Harper, who reached base four times on Monday, singled in each of his first two at-bats Tuesday. His prolonged slump appears to be over. He's 8-for-20 with four doubles and two walks over his last five games.
The Phillies have won four straight games, nine of 13 and claimed back-to-back series over the Royals and Astros. With 30 games left, they're 78-54, as far over .500 as they've been since July 29.
They knew they'd be a bit short-handed in the bullpen Tuesday with Jose Alvarado on the restricted list and Carlos Estevez and Matt Strahm having appeared in back-to-back games. It heightened the need for Aaron Nola to go deep into a game and he did with seven scoreless innings in one of the Phillies' best starts of the year. The Phillies' lead had grown to five by the time he exited, enabling Thomson to rest his four best healthy relievers in Estevez, Strahm, Jeff Hoffman and Orion Kerkering.
Nola did a great job handling the Astros' top two threats, Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman. Alvarez grounded out weakly to the right side twice and lined out, while Bregman struck out swinging twice and stranded two runners with a flyball. They're a combined 2-for-20 off him without an extra-base hit.
Nola's diciest spot was the top of the fifth when Ben Gamel and Jake Meyers singled out of the 7- and 8-spots. Nola navigated his way out of it with a flyout from Mauricio Dubon, a humpback liner to short from Jose Altuve and flyout from Bregman.
Turner had to jump to catch Altuve's liner and, dramatic as it may sound, it might have been the difference between a win and a loss. If he missed it, the Astros would have either scored their first run or loaded the bases, still with one out, for the most dangerous section of their lineup with Bregman and Alvarez.
Nola is 12-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 17 of his 27 starts have been quality starts.
The Phillies go for the sweep Wednesday at 4:05 p.m. with Taijuan Walker (3-5, 6.26) opposing rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (6-11, 4.94).
“Anytime you win it’s nice. Everybody relaxes a little bit, the media chills out, the coaching staff relaxes a little bit,” Castellanos said. “Everybody’s grip loosens up a little bit and it’s easier to drive a car when you’re not squeezing onto the steering wheel with all your might.”