PHILADELPHIA — In a dramatic showdown that transcended individual prowess, it was not merely Bryce Harper’s formidable bat, Trea Turner’s speed, or Nick Castellanos’s theatrical flair that propelled the Philadelphia Phillies past the New York Mets in a gripping Game 2 of the National League Division Series. It was, in fact, the fundamental tenet of baseball: the home team has the final opportunity to bat.
As the Mets engaged in their characteristic late-game theatrics at Citizens Bank Park—seizing the lead with a seventh-inning homer and then tying the game with a two-run blast in the ninth—the Phillies, buoyed their NL East championship and the home-field advantage, wielded the decisive power in the bottom of the ninth.
The Mets were rendered powerless to respond if the Phillies ended the game before they could even step to the plate—if they executed a walk-off victory, it would have been a metaphorical stake through the heart of the Mets’ aspirations, at least for that day.
This dynamic culminated in the Phillies snatching a 7-6 victory, evening the series at one game apiece as they prepare to head to Queens for Game 3 on Tuesday at Citi Field. In a tense ninth inning, Turner and Harper drew consecutive two-out walks, paving the way for Castellanos, who delivered a sharp line-drive single into left field against Mets reliever Tylor Megill. The crowd of 45,679 erupted in ecstatic chaos.
Game 2 epitomized the classic contests the Mets have been participating in and generally triumphing in over the past week and a half—a spectacle where each half-inning recalibrates the scoreboard and stirs the emotions, with momentum swings akin to the tremors of an 8.0-magnitude earthquake.
The Phillies broke free from an uncharacteristic slump in the sixth inning with back-to-back homers from Harper and Nick Castellanos, launching a combined 856 feet of power into the encroaching dusk, only for Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo to promptly restore the visitors’ lead with a solo shot in the seventh.
“Both teams were trading punches. I told the guys, ‘Rocky would be proud,’” Harper remarked, channeling the spirit of the legendary fictional Philadelphia fighter and symbol of resilience. “It’s that never-die mentality. Just a fantastic game.”
The Phillies surged ahead again in the eighth with three runs, highlighted a crucial two-run triple from second baseman Bryson Stott, who celebrated his 27th birthday that day, against Mets closer Edwin Díaz. Manager Carlos Mendoza had summoned Díaz with two outs in the seventh, aiming to neutralize the heart of the Phillies’ order.
Upon scoring the decisive run, Castellanos was greeted with jubilation from his teammates, who drenched him in celebratory water as he crossed first base, a radiant smile lighting up his face. He then sprinted over to the seats behind home plate to share the exhilarating moment with his son. Through the protective netting, he fist-bumped Liam, both shouting, “Let’s go!” in a shared moment of triumph.
“That was the best,” Nick Castellanos reflected on the experience. “When I’m older and no one remembers me as a baseball player, we’ll look back on that moment together.”
