Philly Leader

Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos showed appreciation for fans during a game in St. Louis. During the first inning at Busch Stadium, Castellanos chased a fly ball he initially thought was uncatchable. However, it unexpectedly tailed back into play, allowing Castellanos to catch it.

“I started running after it a little bit like a courtesy run,” Castellanos recalled after the Phillies' 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. “And then I was like, 'Oh, man, that’s going to stay in fair territory.' Then I caught it.”

A young fan wearing a Mike Schmidt jersey stood up to cheer, and Castellanos responded with a high five and a fist bump. “Just to give him a little bit more love," Castellanos explained. "You know?” The fan was thrilled to reciprocate, and Castellanos tossed him the ball. “We’re just all out here having a good time,” he remarked.

In the game, Castellanos delivered a strong performance, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. His current batting statistics include a .308 batting average, two home runs, and nine RBIs, with an OPS of .876. Despite these strong stats, Castellanos recently struck out five times in a single game against the Braves, a feat only matched by 11 others in Phillies history according to Baseball Reference.

Reflecting on his at-bats, Castellanos stated: “If you take out that one night in Atlanta, I just feel like I’ve controlled my at-bats decently for the most part.”

In the first inning, Castellanos hit a two-out double to left-center field, driving in teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, providing the Phillies with an early 2-0 advantage. He expressed satisfaction with his hitting, saying, “It reassures that I’m in a good spot. I really like my work that I’m doing with [Phillies hitting coaches]. Just stay there.”