The Philadelphia Phillies’ 2025 season ended in agony as the Los Angeles Dodgers scored the NLDS-clinching run on an Orion Kerkering throwing error in extra innings Thursday. The Phillies’ avoided elimination in Game 3 when the offense, sparked by Kyle Schwarber’s big day, erupted for eight runs. In Game 4, the teams were locked in a pitchers’ duel until Kerkering's 11th-inning miscue.

Cristopher Sanchez dominated in his second start of the series. The veteran lefty threw six scoreless innings for the Phillies as Tyler Glasnow matched him frame for frame. Philadelphia struck first in a must-win game for the team. Nick Castellanos got the Phillies on the scoreboard with an RBI double off Emmet Sheehan in the seventh inning.

Fans ripped Dave Roberts for pulling Glasnow after 83 pitches but the Dodgers would tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Rob Thomson removed Sanchez after two batters reached, turning to Jhoan Duran early. The Phillies’ closer then walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded, gifting Los Angeles a run.

Dodgers clinch NLDS on Phillies' 11th-inning error

Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after winning the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The matchup spilled into extra innings knotted at 1-1. Game 4 became a battle of the bullpens featuring two starting pitchers. Roki Sasaki got the ball for the Dodgers in the eighth. The rookie hurler was sensational in three scoreless innings.

Game 2 starter Jesus Luzardo took the mound in relief for the Phillies. He made it through the 10th inning unscathed but ran into trouble in the 11th. Kerkering replaced him with runners on the corners and two outs.

But Kerkering walked the bases loaded before a brutal error on Andy Pages’ broken-bat comebacker. The third-year reliever couldn’t field the ball cleanly. He then opted to throw home instead of going to first base. And the offline throw allowed Hyeseong Kim to score the series-clinching run.

nerren wrote:
“Buddy had 4 bases to pick from and choose Rob Lowe in the bleachers”

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User Not Found added:
“Watching Phillies choke every year in the postseason has become a tradition”

Coach Yac commented:
“The mf forgot he could throw the ball to first base”

Daniel A. Saedi wrote:
“That’s not a walk off that’s a little league error”

The Doug Life added:
“So this is professional baseball seriously, I’m not knocking the Dodgers a win is a win but cmon I don’t even know what I’m even watching anymore or even why, baseball is cooked and so are we.”