Nick Castellanos reflects on the Phillies’ World Series run and being back in Houston

HOUSTON — It’s possible that no one felt the Phillies’ postseason run as deeply as Nick Castellanos. On Oct. 23, 2022, he caught the out that sent his team to the World Series. Thirteen days later, he made the out that sent them home.

It took him about a week to process all of it. Castellanos says he likes to “stew on [expletive],” so when he was in New Jersey this offseason, he thought about how it felt to catch Austin Nola’s pop fly in his glove in the top of the ninth inning in Game 5 of the NLCS. He lingered in right field for a moment. He turned around and looked at the crowd behind him. He listened to their cheers.

Castellanos had been to the playoffs before, but he had never won. It was a different feeling, an addicting feeling, which made Nov. 5, 2022, all the more painful. In the top of the ninth, with two outs, he stepped up to the plate against Ryan Pressly. He saw one pitch — a slider outside of the zone — and hit a fly out to right field.

Kyle Tucker caught it, and the Astros started running out of the dugout. Castellanos can be seen in some of the photos of their 2022 World Series celebration.

“That was a long walk from first base back to the dugout,” he said. “The highs and lows of baseball at its finest.”

» READ MORE: Phillies’ wild run to the World Series ends short of a title, but ‘there’s a lot to be proud of’

Castellanos concedes that it was an “uncomfortable memory,” and being in Houston for a three-game series has forced him to confront it. The Astros have added a gold banner in left field that reads “World Series Champions.” The Phillies have an NL pennant. The competitor in Castellanos isn’t satisfied with that. But he has tried to remind himself to be grateful.

It’s a career accomplishment, but it also was an experience he was able to share with his family. His son, Liam, was just a baby when Castellanos made his first trip to the postseason, in 2014, with the Detroit Tigers. In 2022, at age 9, he was able to appreciate it. He would get “angry” at his father when he swung at pitches outside of the zone. He would wake up excited to talk about last night’s game.

“He doesn’t do that during the regular season,” Castellanos said. “He’s a smart kid. He gets it. He sees that the stakes are raised. He sees the difference in me at home. He’s aware.

“He was in it. He was devastated when we lost. He was bawling crying. But that’s a memory and experience he’s never going to forget. And that’s something to be happy for. How many kids get to be around a team with their dad like that? That’s why I can’t be a sourpuss at home about it, because there were a lot of good things that came out of that, too.”

» READ MORE: ‘Uncomfortable memories’ await the Phillies upon their return to Houston for World Series rematch

Castellanos has tried to soak in the good and the bad, and he has come out centered. He says the experience of playing in the World Series has put the rest of the season in perspective for him. He’s tried to carry that mentality into 2023.

“You realize the whole season is for the month of October,” he said. “Up until last year, I had never won in the postseason before. I had gotten there, but winning and experiencing that journey … it comes alive. Every series really has its own life. The game gets more magnified, it gets tighter. Honestly, it’s a lot of fun.

“I’d say it just clarified what these 162 games are for. I’m really proud of myself with how consistent I am with my work. My play is my play. I’m going to have hot stretches and i’m going to have stretches when I’m lost, and all in-between. But I’m proud of how consistent I’ve been able to maintain my work ethic and my mindset from the first day of spring.

“There ain’t nobody harder on Nick than Nick. I can promise you that. But for me, it’s about learning how to enjoy all of it and learning how to put it into perspective as best I can.”

Taijuan Walker threw a bullpen session on Friday. He said he threw 30 pitches and felt “really good.” He’s on track to make a start Monday against the Dodgers unless the Phillies say otherwise. … Manager Rob Thomson said Ranger Suárez came out of his first rehab outing “really good” and will throw three innings for triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. … Nick Nelson will throw four innings for double-A Reading on Tuesday.