The final moments of the Philadelphia Phillies’ season last year remain difficult to think about, and not just for fans, but for the player at the center of the blown-up play.
Reliever Orion Kerkering has spent the offseason processing the error that defined the series-ending loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a moment that changed what had been a great year for the young arm with the Philadelphia Phillies.
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For Kerkering, the play hasn’t faded with time, as it’s only lingered.
“Everyone knows it,” Kerkering said, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “Everyone knows that it’s there. The more you think about it, the more it’s going to drain you away.”
The error didn’t just end a game, but it ended a season with championship expectations. I get it was the Dodgers, but the Phillies were right there.
Sadly, late-inning postseason moments often define relievers, fairly or unfairly. For Kerkering, who got high-leverage October innings early in his career, the biggest moment of his career was met with some adversity and the emotions have been real.
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“It’s going to affect me for the rest of my life,” he said. “No matter where I go. If someone’s going to bring it up, it doesn’t matter if it’s now or in 20 years, they’re going to say some s—.”
Kerkering understands that it was a play he wants back, but he also recognizes that it’ll be in the back of his head and he can either accept it or learn from it.
“It’s one of those things that is going to linger on,” Kerkering said. “It’s always in the back of your head, to where it almost feels like a death in your family. That’s how this feels with the play. And I can either accept it and say, ‘Yeah, it sucks,’ and move on from it. Or I can let it affect me.”
Heading into the 2026 season, the right-hander is expected to be a nice piece in the Phillies’ bullpen, and he has the stuff to get outs at the highest level to exceed them. We’ll have to see if his confidence isn’t where it needs to be early on, but we’ll hope that won’t be the case as the young man is legit.