Philadelphia Phillies' postseason dreams came to an end in Game 4 of the NL Division Series after reliever Orion Kerkering threw wide off JT Realmuto to allow Los Angeles Dodgers pinch runner Hyeseong Kim to walk it off.
The season-ending error occurred in the bottom of the 11th inning with two outs and a 1-1 game. Dodgers slugger Andy Pages hit it back to Kerkering, who, instead of going to first base to end the inning, tried making the throw to Realmuto.
It was a disappointing moment for everyone supporting the Phillies, but most importantly, Kerkering, who was at the center of it all. His dejected look standing at the home plate revealed his emotions for being the reason Philadelphia won't be going back to Citizens Bank Park to play NLDS Game 5.
Orion Kerkering absorbing emotions while talking to reporters
After the game, it was time to discuss what had happened with the reporters present. Orion Kerkering collected himself and started shooting answers with a lot of things running through his mind. He admitted that he faltered under pressure in the moment.
"Just hit off my foot," Kerkering said. "Once that pressure got to me, I just thought it was a faster throw to J.T.—a little quicker throw than trying to cross-body it to Bryce. So, yeah, just a horseshit throw."
The reliever also revealed the heartfelt admissions made by other teammates to console him.
"Just, 'Keep your head up. It's an honest mistake. It's baseball. Shit happens. Just keep your head up. You'll be good for a long time to come. It's not my fault. We just had opportunities to score. Just keep your head up,'" Kerkering added.
Orion Kerkering with one of the most upfront, self aware & honest postgame interviews I’ve ever seen…
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) October 10, 2025
He’s clearly doing everything he can to hold back tears the entire time. I feel gutted for him. Just an all-time panic moment. Absolutely gutting.pic.twitter.com/udvBPuMezd
While he was answering those questions, there were numerous times where he felt overwhelmed, but as a professional but he kept his emotions in check. It's just that Kerkering didn't have his best moment during that play.