As the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated clinching their seventh trip to the NLCS in the past 10 seasons, and most of the Philadelphia Phillies had already begun making their way towards the dugout, Orion Kerkering came out of his hunched-over stance and was met by his catcher, J.T. Realmuto.
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The 24-year-old relief pitcher had just thrown away the third out in the bottom of the 11th inning, which would have extended the game and the Phillies’ season. Now, he stood on the mound in stunned disbelief at what just happened. A simple ground ball back to him should have led to an easy play. Instead, the Dodgers won 2-1.
Kerkering wasn’t left feeling alone for too long. Realmuto shepherded him off the mound and the two were soon greeted by outfielder Nick Castellanos, who had sprinted in from right field, to try and console his teammate.
“I just told him to keep his head up,” Castellanos said afterward, via MLB.com. “And I wanted to be next to him while he walked off the field, just so he knows he’s not alone in that moment.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their walk-off 11th inning victory over the Philadelphia Phillies to advance to the 2025 NLCS. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
(MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
As the three reached the Philadelphia dugout, Phillies manager Rob Thomson was there at the top of the steps to greet Kerkering with a simple message he hopes resonates beyond this season.
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“[I said to] just keep his head up,” Thomson said. “He just got caught up in the moment a little bit. Coming down the stretch there, he pitched so well for us. 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.”
Kerkering said Thomson’s message was similar to one that other teammates gave him after the game and that “it’s baseball. S*** happens.”
A fifth round draft pick by the Phillies in 2022, Kerkering broke into the big leagues in 2023, but wasn’t a regular option out of the bullpen until the following season. He’s made 136 appearances for the Phillies and sports a 1.23 WHIP, 2.79 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 126 innings pitched. The Huntington Beach native has earned his place on the roster and his teammates’ support proves that.
“It means a lot. It shows they care a lot. Just means everything, for sure,” Kerkering said.
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Friday begins a long four-month offseason until spring training 2026 begins. Kerkering will have a lot of time to think about how this season ended, but he was continually reminded by his teammates to not let one play define him and use this moment for good.
“Hopefully it’s the start of a long career,” Kerkering said. “Just keep it in the back of my head that this really f****** sucks right now, but hopefully, keep pushing and get over this hump and keep pushing.”
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