The Philadelphia Phillies suffered yet another brutal postseason exit on Thursday night, losing 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS. The 11-inning thriller ended on a devastating throwing error by Orion Kerkering, sending the club into an offseason of questions and anger.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 11th, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages hit a slow roller back to the mound. Kerkering rushed his throw home, sailing it over catcher J.T. Realmuto's head. That allowed Hyeseong Kim to score the winning run and clinch the Dodgers vs. Phillies series. The play quickly went viral and symbolized the collapse of a team once considered a postseason powerhouse.
Emotions poured out online as fans vented their frustration. Joseph Duffey posted on X, (formerly known as Twitter), with a harsh assessment.
“One of the worst ways to lose a postseason series that I’ve ever seen. Sheer panic from Kerkering. Unbelievable.”
Others questioned the team’s future. State of the Phillies wrote:
“2022: World Series loss vs. Houston
2023: NLCS loss vs. Arizona
2024: NLDS loss vs. Mets
2025: NLDS loss vs. Dodgers
This window is shut. Wow. Unreal.”
Another user reinforced the sentiment, referencing the costly error.
“i can't believe i just watched a major leaguer make a little league error. sad way to lose that series. #phillies #dodgers #nlds #nlcs”
The sharpest criticism was aimed at manager Rob Thomson, with one user posting the following.
“I'm just so disgusted by the #Phillies as a whole right now, and while the offense was a HUGE issue in this #NLDS series against the Dodgers, Rob Thomson could not have done worse. It was as if every decision he made when it was down to the wire was to try and lose. Fire his a*s”
Now, the offseason begins with uncertainty and calls for accountability. With mounting criticism on Thomson and another missed opportunity, the Phillies face tough decisions as their window continues to close.
