Orion Kerkering held back tears explaining season-ending error
During extra innings of a playoff game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, Orion Kerkering struggled to make it.
While playing from the mound, the right-handed pitcher had to choose where to throw the ball and make a split-second decision. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom half of the eleventh inning, there was force removed in every spot he could have thrown.
Either the Phillies would take out the Dodgers to end the inning and start the top half of the twelfth inning, or Los Angeles would score to win the game. A Dodgers victory would also end Philadelphia’s season as they trailed 2-1 in a best-of-three series.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, as the hit was headed toward the pitcher, he missed the ball and immediately decided to throw it home rather than first.
But as he recovered from a fumbled recovery, he couldn’t see that Phillies catcher JT Realmuto was motioning for Kerkering to throw the ball to first base rather than to him at home.
This is an incredibly sad way to end the series. JT Realmuto was pointing toward first base. pic.twitter.com/T2Acxbashz
– John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) October 10, 2025
Realmuto’s advice was also sound, for several reasons.
But more importantly, it was because third base’s runner, Hyeseong Kim, was significantly closer to home than batter Andy Pages was to first.
When Kerkering regained the ball:
Kim was 30 feet from her home
Pages were 55 feet from 1B pic.twitter.com/dx3JIuw9nQ-Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) October 10, 2025
Kerkering knocked the ball down and the Dodgers scored a run. This eliminated the Phillies and Los Angeles advanced to the National League Championship Series.
In a postgame conversation with reporters, the visibly emotional pitcher admitted his mistake.
Orion Kerkering was very frank after his mistake.
(Via @AntSanPhilly) pic.twitter.com/kSUqycK35f– On Pattison (@OnPattison) October 10, 2025
He admitted that the pressure got to him after the mistake and explained that he thought it was a quicker throw to Realmuto than trying the cross body to Bryce Harper at first.
Kerkering said he was just in the moment and didn’t hear anyone tell him to throw to first base nor could he see Realmuto pointing to first base.
The Phillies comforted reliever Orion Kerkering in the dugout after his season-ending error pic.twitter.com/SermuXqwAx
– Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 10, 2025
It was a difficult moment for Kerkering, but fortunately his teammates were there to comfort him following this blunder.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson also spoke out in support of the pitcher, who takes much of the blame for a loss that should also be shouldered by the entire organization and not just an individual lapse.
This article was originally published on For The Win: Orion Kerkering fought back tears as he explained season-ending mistake
