Nick Castellanos issued a warning for the Mets ahead of Game 4 of the NLDS
Mets don't want to feel brotherly love again.
That's the warning Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos issued to his rivals as the Phillies now face an elimination Game 4 after Tuesday's 7-2 victory over the Mets to take a 2-1 lead in the NLDS.
“Instead of just flushing it and forgetting, I think, right now, it's really important to embrace what the situation is,” Castellanos said after the Game 3 loss. “We lost, we're going home. Baseball is over for us.
“It's a great opportunity because if we can come here and pick up a win here, I know they don't want to go back to Philly for a Game 5.”
Castellanos certainly makes a fair point, although it may be nothing more than an attempt to rally the troops after a lifeless display.
The Phillies own one of the best home-field advantages in MLB after going 54-27 at Citizens Bank Park this season and, in theory, Zack Wheeler will be waiting in Game 5.
Wheeler dominated the Mets in Game 1 before the bullpen led the way in a 6-2 Mets win, and the Phillies will certainly be favored at home.
But the Phillies have to get there first and it falls on Castellanos and an anemic offense to show signs of life.
Philadelphia has scored just one run in the first five innings of each of the three games (15 innings total) and seemingly has no answer for the Mets' starting pitching.
That stat is even more shocking because that lone run came on Kyle Schwarber's leadoff home run in Game 1.
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Castellanos, the Game 2 hero, had a chance to deliver another crushing blow to the Mets on Tuesday night when he came through the sixth with two on and one out in a 2-0 game.
He instead hit a low liner into a double play and the Mets tacked on two runs in the bottom of the inning, essentially iceing the game.
If Castellanos and the Phillies' offense, which slashed .204/.304/.337/.641 in the series, doesn't show more fight in Game 4, his threat will be for naught.
“Well, as a group, this is the closest to death we're ever going to get, so in a way, we should feel the most alive,” Castellanos said. “We just got committed tomorrow and we've been working since spring training to get this opportunity. There's only one more time to show up and leave it all on the field and however the dice is going to land, it's going to land.”