Castellanos carries Phillies to walk-off win over Padres

Nick Castellanos capped a thrilling comeback with a bloop ground-rule double down the right field line, the final of four consecutive ninth-inning hits, as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a two-run deficit to secure a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. 

 

Kyle Schwarber had sparked the rally with a solo home run in the eighth inning, setting the stage for a potential season series sweep over the Padres on Wednesday. 

 

Jeff Hoffman (3-0) earned the win, while the Padres’ Robert Suarez (4-1) blew his first save in 19 opportunities this season. 

 

Schwarber’s homer, with two outs in the eighth, trimmed the deficit to 3-2. 

 

Suarez, who had recorded the final out of the eighth, then faced Bryce Harper, marking their first matchup since Harper's series-clinching home run off Suarez in Game 5 of the 2022 National League Championship Series. Harper responded with a single and advanced to third on Alec Bohm’s base hit, eventually scoring the tying run on Bryson Stott’s opposite-field single. 

 

Aaron Nola had retired the first 13 hitters in order and faced the minimum through five innings, thanks to a strikeout/caught stealing double play. However, after issuing a leadoff walk to David Peralta in the sixth, Luis Campusano lofted a fastball to center, just beyond Cristian Pache’s outstretched glove, giving San Diego a 2-1 lead.

 

The Phillies will look to secure a sweep of the Padres on Wednesday.