PHILADELPHIA - Nick Castellanos drove in three runs and made a potentially game-saving catch in the ninth inning, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves 7-6 in the opener of their NL Division Series on Tuesday.The Phillies have won three straight games to begin these playoffs, hardly looking like a team making its first postseason appearance since 2011.
They followed up their wild-card sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a victory over the team that finished 14 games ahead of them in the NL East.It wasn't easy.
Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Zach Eflin to bring the Braves within a run.But Castellanos, capping off a brilliant day with his bat and his glove, made a sliding catch in right field for help snuff out the comeback — a clutch play from a player frequently maligned for subpar defense.Alec Bohm added two RBIs for the Phillies, who built a 7-1 lead by the top of the fifth and made it stand up against a Braves lineup that squandered numerous chances to get back in the game.Travis d'Arnaud homered and drove in the other three Atlanta runs, but the team that won 101 games during the regular season and edged the New York Mets in a thrilling NL East race suddenly finds itself in a best-of-five predicament.Game 2 is Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta before the series shifts to Philly.Castellanos had a run-scoring single in the first — the Phillies jumping ahead 2-0 before many fans had settled in their seats for the lunchtime start — and added a two-run single in the fourth.Castellanos came in hitting .148 (4 for 27) in seven postseason games.