Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) hits a solo home run during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game three of the NLDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Castellanos is here to do two things. Chew bubble gum and hit home runs while Major League Baseball announcers discuss somber and heavy topics. And he’s all out of bubble gum.

The Philadelphia Phillies cruised to a 10-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of their NLDS series on Wednesday night. By the time the eighth inning rolled around and Castellanos stepped to the plate, Philly was already up 8-2. That’s when the TV booth took some time to send some love to former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who is currently improving from a stroke. They showed footage of Manuel taking some swings during his physical therapy session in what was a heavy but appreciated segment.

When they cut back to the game, Castellanos launched a home run to left-center to give Philadelphia even more breathing room in the rout.

This is, at least, the fifth time Castellanos has interrupted a serious TV moment with a hit. The iconic initial instance happened in August of 2020 when Thom Brennaman was apologizing for saying a homophobic slur on the air. It happened again in July of 2021 when the Royals broadcasters were eulogizing a World War II veteran. It also happened in Spring Training last March, when Blue Jays analyst Buck Martinez was reading an apology from Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker for a DUI. And he hit a home run last year on Memorial Day right after Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy discussed the vacant seat at Citizens Bank Park to honor those who died in service.

We’ll even throw in the time Castellanos hit a home run on the two-year anniversary of Brennaman’s apology just to make it clear that, on some fundamental level, Nick knows what he’s doing, and he can’t be stopped.

Castellanos actually had two home runs on the evening, matching Bryce Harper, as the Phillies took a 2-1 series lead over the Braves.

[Awful Announcing on Twitter]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.