By CNN
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The Philadelphia Phillies reached the National League Championship Series for the second year in a row on Thursday after beating the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in their National League Division Series.
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos made MLB history by becoming the first man to hit two home runs in back-to-back postseason games, guiding his team to a 3-1 win on the night.
“Whenever you see that many people giving you an acknowledgment in a positive favor, there’s not really a lot of words that are going to be able to capture that feeling,” Castellanos said of the Phillies fans, according to the Washington Post. “But it’s special.”
After winning 104 regular season games, the most of any Major League Baseball team this season, the Braves were the heavy favorites heading into the series.
But while the Phillies stepped up to the occasion, the Braves wilted under the pressure of their favorite tag and will now likely be sick of the sight of Thursday’s opponents after another loss at this stage.
The Phillies will now be favorites when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series, which begins on Monday, as the team looks to reach the World Series for the second straight year.
“We’ve got a good group, man,” shortstop Trea Turner said, per Washington Post. “I think that’s the only way to put it. Someone messes up, so what? We can fix it. We can overcome it.”
