MLB: The Phillies are in the championship final after eliminating the Braves

The National League Championship Series will be shown on RDS beginning Monday at 8 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA – Nick Castellanos became the first player to hit more than one home run in two consecutive playoff games, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-1 win that allowed them to eliminate the Atlanta Braves for the second straight year on Thursday.

Backup hitter Matt Stram hit Vaughn Grissom with runners on first and third bases in the top of the ninth to help the Phillies win the second-run series in four games.

Fireworks lit up the sky over frenzied Citizens Bank Park, the Liberty Bell rang and the defending National League champions popped the champagne once again.

“These are moments I will never forget,” Castellanos said.

Bryce Harper gave the Phillies a scare when he grabbed the right elbow that he had surgery on after a collision in the eighth. Matt Olson’s left knee collided with Harper’s elbow on the first base play that ended the inning.

Harper, who was twice selected as the National League’s Most Valuable Player, bent his elbow after a quick examination by the medical staff. He remained in the match in ninth place.

Trea Turner had a single, a double and a solo homer in the fifth inning to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead. They are trying to win the World Series for the first time since 2008.

They will now face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National Championship Series starting Monday in Philadelphia.

“We feel good, there is no doubt about that. But we will definitely respect our opponents.”

The Phillies survived a few scares before once again eliminating the NL East champions, who finished with the best record in baseball this season at 104-58.

Before the collision involving Harper, rookie Johan Rojas made an important defensive play in the seventh inning with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning. He took a hit from Ronald Acuna Jr. on the run, denying him a hit that could have given the Braves the lead.

Wearing light blue uniforms with brown caps as they do every Thursday at home, the Phillies are following the same path they did last year to advance to the Championship Series.

They swept a first-round series for the first time. Then in the second round, they won the first match in Atlanta before losing the second. Like last year, they came back in Philadelphia and scored six runs in the third inning, en route to a Game 3 victory.

A home barrage eventually allowed them to eliminate the Braves, who were eliminated early by the Phillies for the second straight year after winning at least 101 regular-season games each time.

“I just told them they have nothing to be ashamed of,” Braves coach Brian Snitker said of the message to his players. We wanted to go far in the playoffs, but as I say in the first team meeting every year, you have to check the boxes first, and the first is winning the division series. You never know what could happen.

“We hit 300 goals this year, and that hasn’t happened in this series.”