Orion Kerkering Panics and Ends the Phillies' 2025 Season

This offseason is going to feel like an eternity for Orion Kerkering and the Philadelphia Phillies after a costly throwing error in extra innings.

Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering (50) in the dugout after the final out as they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the NLDS during the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

47%. That is the percentage of the inherited runners who scored when Orion Kerkering took the mound heading into Game 4 of the National League Division Series. To put that percentage into perspective, the leagues average was 32% during the regular season.

In Game 2, Rob Thomson elected to go to Kerkering with runners on second and third. Thomson’s decision to hand the ball over to Kerkering led to an RBI fielder’s choice and a two-run single by Will Smith.

Fast forward to Game 4 Thursday night at Dodger Stadium and Thomson once again asked Kerkering to try and get out of a jam. This time the outcome ended the Phillies season.

Let’s set the stage. In a 1-1 game in the bottom of the 11th, the Dodgers had runners on second and third with two outs. Kerkering walked Kiké Hernández to load the bases. Andy Pages, the nine-hole hitter batting .055 in the postseason, stepped up into the box. Pages tapped a weak grounder back to Kerkering that the 24-year-old pitcher bobbled. Feeling the amount of pressure, Kerkering panicked throwing towards home despite a force out being at any base and Pages not even halfway down the first base line.

The throw soared over the head of catcher J.T. Realmuto sending the Dodgers to the National League Championship Series and leaving Philadelphia fans stunned.

THE @DODGERS WALK IT OFF AND ARE #NLCS BOUND! pic.twitter.com/7GKwsscWkZ

— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2025

“Obviously a big moment, big situation, and it kind of got away from him right there,” Bryce Harper said. “He had a play at first and he went to the plate. You know, tough way to lose it, but it’s a part of it.”

As the Dodgers’ bench poured out onto the field to reach Pages and celebrate, Kerkering had what felt to be the longest walk of his life back to Philadelphia’s dugout. Clearly disappointed, Thomson stopped Kerkering at the top of the steps, padded him on his chest, then sent him on his way.

“I told him keep his head up. He just got caught up in the moment a little bit,” Thomson said. “I feel for him because he's putting it all on his shoulders, but we win as a team, and we lose as a team.”

Orion Kerkering was very candid after his miscue.

(Via @AntSanPhilly) pic.twitter.com/kSUqycK35f

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) October 10, 2025

You can yell. You can scream. You can even throw your tv remote. Just know that not only are you going to think about this play until next year, but Kerkering is too, and it shouldn’t be the dark cloud over his head for the entire offseason.

“Don’t let it define you, who you are, your career, anything like that,” Harper said on Kerkering.

Yes, this error will eat at the young reliever, but the fact he even entered this game was the manager’s fault. Kerkering shouldn’t have been in that element to begin with, and Thomson needs to understand when to use his relievers. There was more trust in David Robertson or even Walker Buehler, a wasted roster spot due to him never making an appearance, to get that final out than Kerkering.

Had the game reached the 12th inning, Kerkering would have been a better option to pitch in a clean frame. He pitched two scoreless innings retiring his batters faced in order when coming into the game with no runners on. Kerkering was clearly more confident in those situations, showing that he still is a legitimate reliever.

“I think that this kid's gonna be a premier back-end arm in a bullpen for many years,” Kyle Schwarber said. “It’s just one of those things where it's a blip on the radar right now.”

Also, don’t forget that the Phillies powerhouse group of players at the top of their order did nothing to help the team.

“I don't know the numbers, but we lost and got to do better,” Trea Turner said.

Here are those numbers Turner:

Turner, Schwarber, and Harper combined for a .086 average (3-for-35) with 15 strikeouts between Game 1, Game 2, and Game 4. This isn’t the first postseason run that the threesome went silent. The trio batted .180 with 39 strikeouts since Game 6 of the 2023 NLCS. The Phillies are 2-8 in that stretch.

“We want to go in, and we want to do our job every day,” Harper said Wednesday night. “Any time we have Kyle going or Trea going to myself or anybody else, we're going to win games. I think we all know that...so that’s what we need to do tomorrow. Come in and do our job.”

Well, the job Harper referred to was not anywhere close to being done. The only thing done is the Phillies which was led by their offense batting .108 in an elimination game. The Phillies rightfully deserve to be knocked out of the postseason with that type of performance at the plate.