Castellanos paces Phillies’ offence to snap Blue Jays’ 3-game winning streak | CBC Sports

Nick Castellanos went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 on Tuesday night.

“We had great at-bats tonight and overall, played an outstanding game in all facets,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Our baserunning was excellent. All in all, I thought we had a great game.”

Bo Bichette hit his eighth homer of the season for Toronto, which had swept a three-game set at Pittsburgh over the weekend.

“We were one hit away and it seems like that a little bit for the first part of the year here,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “But they got good pitchers and we were one at-bat and one swing short tonight.”

Alek Manoah (1-3) allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings, throwing 94 pitches and getting only three swing-and-miss strikes.

“I feel like they extended at-bats and I threw seven pitches to every hitter,” Manoah said. “I tried to compete as well as I could and get the offence out there, but they did a good job extending at-bats and not going after the chase pitches.”

Castellanos ‘having fun’

Castellanos struggled in the first year of his five-year, $100 million US contract with Philadelphia in 2022. His batting average dropped from .309 in 2021 with Cincinnati to .263, and he hit only 13 homers a year after hitting 34.

He has looked like his old self thus far this year. His batting average (.317) and slugging and on-base percentages are up substantially.

“I think I’m in a good spot right now and not thinking too much,” Castellanos said. “I’m having fun right now in the game. And when that happens, the game usually becomes easier for me.”

Castellanos turned on a fourth-inning fastball from Manoah and deposited it just inside the left-field foul pole for his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot that put Philadelphia ahead 2-1.

Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Edmundo Sosa also drove in runs for the Phillies.

Nola had experienced a season low in velocity during his last start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, but hit a season-high 95 mph several times on Tuesday night.

Added Castellanos: “He’s one of our horses and if he can eat up those innings, it really helps the Phillies.”

Kevin Kiermaier had two hits and scored twice for Toronto.