Phillies use long ball to eliminate Braves, return to NLCS

A day after brutalizing the Atlanta Braves with six home runs, the Philadelphia Phillies used the long ball to take Game 4, 3-1, punching a return ticket to the National League Championship Series. 

All three Phillies runs came by home run. Slugging outfielder Nick Castellanos led the way, repeating his feat from Game 3. Castellanos went deep twice in the fourth and sixth innings, becoming the first player in major league history to hit two HRs in back-to-back postseason games. Meanwhile, shortstop Trea Turner also went yard for the second time this postseason. 

Six different pitchers took the mound for the Phillies. Ranger Suarez started the game, allowing only one earned run off three hits through five solid innings of work. Seranthony Dominguez and Jose Alvarado got the Phillies through the sixth before the bullpen ran into trouble. 

In the seventh inning, the Braves had the bases juiced with two outs, but Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas made the play of the night while bailing out reliever Craig Kimbrel against the dangerous Ronald Acuna Jr. The potential NL MVP drove a pitch deep into the left-center field gap, but Rojas was able to run it down, making a leaping, possibly game-saving catch. 

The tense moments weren't over for the Phillies bullpen. Still up 3-1 in the ninth, Gregory Soto allowed the first two Braves to reach base, walking Marcell Ozuna before giving up a single to Sean Murphy, to put runners on first and third with no outs. Nevertheless, Matt Strahm came in relief and closed the door, forcing Kevin Pillar and Eddie Rosario to pop out before striking out Vaughn Grissom to end the threat and the Braves season.