Castellanos Blames Phillies Fans for Team's Postseason Struggles as NLDS Slips Away

The Philadelphia Phillies’ season is on the brink as they trail the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 in the NLDS, and right fielder Nick Castellanos is pointing the finger at fans who have packed Citizens Bank Park every October.

Following Monday’s excruciating 4-3 loss where the offense and bullpen failed again, Castellanos told reporters, including The Philadelphia Inquirer’s David Murphy, that Phillies fans can become a hindrance when things go bad on the field.

“I think that the stadium is alive on both sides, right?” Castellanos said. “When the game is going good, it’s wind at our back, but when the game is not going good, it’s wind in our face. The environment can be with us, and the environment can be against us.”

The criticism didn’t stop there. Castellanos added that they play “more tight” at home because they’re concerned about being “reprimanded” by fans.

“When everything’s going good and you’re rolling it’s a [pain] to play here when you’re an opposing team because the environment is amazing,” he explained. “But if we run into adversity and the tide shifts and now we’re playing more tight because we don’t want to be reprimanded for something bad.”

Postseason Woes at The Bank

“The Bank” hasn’t been the home field advantage it once was. The Phillies have lost five of their last six postseason games there, dating back to Game 6 of the 2023 NLCS.

Castellanos has been a disappointment since the Phillies signed him to a five-year, $100 million deal in 2022. He lost his starting role this year after posting a .694 OPS, 88 OPS+ and minus-1.0 bWAR. In this series, he’s gone 1-for-6 with a two-run double in the ninth inning of Game 2 before getting thrown out at third on Bryson Stott’s failed sacrifice bunt attempt.

But the blame game rings hollow. Is it the fans’ fault that Castellanos lost his job? Is it their fault that Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are a combined 2-for-21 with 11 strikeouts? Is it their fault that the bullpen has imploded two straight games? Or that manager Rob Thomson egregiously called for Stott to bunt in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and a slow runner in Castellanos on second?

Phillies fans have seen this same song and dance since 2023. Maybe if Castellanos and company performed better, this wouldn’t be an issue.

The Phillies now travel cross-country to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday to keep their season alive. If not, there should be wholesale changes heading into 2025.