Nick Castellanos had a hand (literally) in helping the Philadelphia Phillies stun the Houston Astros to take Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth and with a man on second, Jeremy Peña lifted what looked like was the game-winning hit to shallow right field. Castellanos, who isn’t known for his defense, sprinted in and made the sliding catch to save the game and send it to extras.
It was a near-improbable catch for Castellanos. According to Statcast, there was a 65% chance it would be caught for a three-star catch. It doesn’t seem that improbable, right? Well, per MLB.com, Castellanos only was 5-for-55 on three-star catches this season.
Sheesh.
J.T. Realmuto homered in the 10th inning to lift the Phillies, who were down 5-0 at one point, to a thrilling Game 1 win at Minute Maid Park. The homer, of course, wouldn’t have been possible if Castellanos hadn’t made the catch.
Game 2 is set for Saturday night with first pitch scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET.
