Nick Castellanos' grand slam helps Phillies nip Dodgers

Field Level Media|published: Sun 6th April, 17:02 2025

Apr 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos (8) reacts after hitting a grand slam during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers home run at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Nick Castellanos hit a grand slam and Edmundo Sosa continued his productive start to the season as the Philadelphia Phillies nipped the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7 on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series.

Sosa went 2-for-4 and has multiple hits in all five of his starts this season, although he used his hustle to plate the go-ahead run in this one. Bryce Harper added two hits and scored twice for the Phillies, who handed Los Angeles two defeats this weekend after the Dodgers arrived in Philadelphia with an 8-0 record.

Teoscar Hernandez smacked two home runs and drove in five runs for Los Angeles, while Mookie Betts and Will Smith each added two hits and an RBI. Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Hernandez opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Cristopher Sanchez in the first inning, but the Phillies got that back - and more - in the third.

Tyler Glasnow walked the first three hitters of the frame before issuing an RBI single to Harper. Glasnow then issued a run-scoring wild pitch and another walk before Castellanos launched his eighth career grand slam.

Hernandez responded with a solo homer in the fourth and an RBI double in the fifth, making it 6-4. Los Angeles then scored three times in the seventh to move ahead by a run.

Jordan Romano allowed three straight baserunners to open the inning, including an RBI double by Betts. Orion Kerkering (1-0) came on to issue Hernandez's game-tying sacrifice fly before Smith delivered a double, plating Betts.

The Phillies answered promptly against Blake Treinen (0-1) in the bottom half, beginning with Harper's leadoff double. He came around to score on a base hit by Bryson Stott and then Philadelphia went ahead when Sosa beat out a potential double-play ball by a split-second.

Luis Garcia worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth, giving the Dodgers a chance in the ninth. But Jose Alvarado retired Ohtani, Betts and Tommy Edman in order to pick up his second save.

Glasnow was charged with five runs, two hits and five walks in two-plus innings. Sanchez struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings, yielding four runs, six hits and one walk.

--Field Level Media