Phillies vs. Braves score, highlights: Nick Castellanos homers twice to send Philly to NLCS, eliminate Atlanta

A 3-1 NLDS series win sets the Phillies up to face the Diamondbacks

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves by a 3-1 score in Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Thursday night. As a result, the Phillies won the best-of-five series by a 3-1 margin. 

The Phillies will now advance to the NL Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which will begin on Monday. The Braves, for their part, will head home.

The Phillies can credit Thursday's victory to an assortment of players. Nick Castellanos homered twice; Trea Turner recorded the first four-hit game in Phillies postseason history; and Ranger Suárez and the Phillies bullpen again held MLB's most potent regular-season offense to a single run.

Harper, Turner, Castellanos stay hot

The Phillies' stars showed up for Game 4 and a tough matchup against Braves ace and NL Cy Young Award candidate Spencer Strider. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Nick Castellanos combined for six hits and three walks in nine trips to the plate against Strider. You did not misread and we did not miscalculate: those three did not make a single out against Strider.

Turner and Castellanos each launched a pair of extra-base hits against Strider: Turner homered once and doubled once. Castellanos, in essentially a repeat of last night's Game 3, homered twice. In the process, Castellanos became the first player in MLB history to record consecutive multi-homer games.

While Castellanos will, rightly, receive much of the attention, we feel obligated to note that Turner's night was impressive in its own right. He entered Thursday with a career 0 for 17 mark against Strider and proceeded to go 3 for 3. It just goes to show that individual pitcher-batter matchups might be descriptive, but they aren't typically predictive. (Turner finished 4 for 4 and a triple shy of the cycle.)

Harper, for his part, was involved in a scary collision to end the top of the eighth. Matt Olson's knee connected with Harper's surgically repaired right elbow on a ground out. Harper retreated to the clubhouse between innings, but returned to the dugout and took his post at first base for the ninth.

Suárez, bullpen deliver, again

Left-hander Ranger Suárez received his second start of the series on Thursday night. As he did in Game 1, he again delivered more than the Phillies could have reasonably expected given the Braves' offensive potency during the season.

Suárez, who threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings last time out, did allow a run this time -- on an Austin Riley solo home run. Otherwise, he held the Braves to three hits and no walks over five innings of work. He struck out two batters.

It's worth noting that Suárez had not allowed a run in any of his four most recent postseason appearances. (Two starts, two relief outings.) That may have changed on Thursday, but he remained a factor in the Phillies' victory.

With the book closed on Suárez after five, manager Rob Thomson again asked his key relievers to maintain a small lead across several innings. Seranthony Dominguez and José Alvarado combined to get through the seventh. Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel loaded the bases ahead of a matchup versus Ronald Acuña Jr. in the seventh, but were bailed out by a nifty grab by rookie outfielder Johan Rojas. Observe:

Kimbrel and Gregory Soto contained the Braves in the eighth, leaving the ninth to Matt Strahm, who ran into trouble and escaped to secure the win.

Phillies advance to NLCS

For the second consecutive season, the Phillies will leave the Braves behind and advance to the NLCS. Last fall, of course, they defeated the San Diego Padres in five games. This spin, the Phillies will be tasked with upending a different NL West team: the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Phillies and Diamondbacks will kick off the 2023 NLCS on Monday. The first two games of the series will be hosted in Philadelphia.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:15 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Phillies win 3-1, they're heading to the NLCS

The Braves, the regular season's best team, are heading home.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:15 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Braves down to their final strike

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:14 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Grissom will pinch-hit

He has a chance to be a hero for Atlanta.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:14 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

The wheels are turning, as they say. 

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:12 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Rosario lifts one to left

Marsh's throw home prevents Ozuna from attempting to score. Two outs.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:12 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Strahm gets a pop-up

Phillies are two outs from the NLCS. Still runners on the corners.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:11 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Strahm will face Pillar

And then, evidently, Eddie Rosario.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:09 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

Risky decision by Ozuna to go first to third with no outs and down by two runs, but he got away with it.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:08 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Soto departs

He'll leave a mess for Strahm: first and third, no one out. Two-run game.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:07 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Murphy hits a ball through the right side

Runners now on the corners with nobody out.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:06 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Soto walks Ozuna

Braves will have the tying run up here in the ninth. Sean Murphy due up.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:06 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Soto goes full on Ozuna

Braves are a bloop and a blast from a tie.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:05 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Strahm is warming

Soto is down 2-1 to Ozuna.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:03 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

With three outs to go

The Phillies lead 3-1 and have a 93.6% chance of winning the game and advancing to the NLCS. 

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:02 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Soto remains in

He finished the eighth.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 11:02 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

To the ninth

Harper is taking his post at first base, and the Phillies are three outs from the NLCS.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:59 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

Raisel Iglesias coming on for Atlanta. 

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:56 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

Three-hit night for Castellanos. 

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:55 pm ET · Kate Feldman]

Harper's back out in the dugout already.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:53 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

On replay: Olson's knee collided with Harper's surgically repaired elbow. Harper has since ducked into the clubhouse.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:52 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

We're heading into the bottom of the eighth

Phillies lead 3-1. They're three outs from the NLCS.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:50 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Harper continues to flex his hand as he walks off.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:50 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Harper might be hurt

Holding and flexing his elbow after Olson clipped it running by.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:46 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Kimbrel's night is over

Olson is due up, and here comes Soto. 

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:45 pm ET · Kate Feldman]

I don't know that I'd call that a Craig Kimbrel masterclass, but that was more than a few impressive escape acts.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:45 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Kimbrel punches out Riley

Four outs from the NLCS.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:43 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Phillies are five outs away from the NLCS

Albies hits a harmless fly to Rojas.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:42 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Soto and Hoffman warming. One presumes Soto might have a date with Olson.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:42 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

For those wondering, Kimbrel last threw in the seventh inning on Sept. 30. He did it three times this season.

[Oct 12, 2023 at 10:41 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Kimbrel is back on the bump

Threw 13 pitches last inning.