Devastated Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering consoled by teammates after humiliating season-ending error vs Dodgers

In a touching moment from one of the most crushing October defeats in recent memory, Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson was seen embracing relief pitcher Orion Kerkering after his 11th-inning error gave their National League Division Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kerkering made a wild throw past home instead of tossing to first after mishandling Andy Pages' bases-loaded comebacker with two outs in the 11th inning. As a result, the Dodgers escaped with a 2-1 win Thursday at Dodger Stadium for a 3-1 NLDS victory.

The moment seemed to play out in slow motion.

Kerkering picked up the ball and in one move made a sidearm throw 46 feet from the plate. The ball sailed up the third-base line, past catcher Realmuto's outstretched mitt, and Kerkering responded by hanging his head and putting his hands on his knees as as pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim crossed the plate.

Thomson wrapped an arm around Kerkering when the distraught 24-year-old reliever reached the dugout.

'He just got caught up in the moment a little bit,' Thomson said. '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.'

Realmuto had pointed to first when the broken-bat, two-hopper hit off Kerkering and rolled just in front of the mound.

Afterwards, Kerkering blamed himself.  

'Just hit off my foot,' Kerkering said. 'Once the pressure got to me, I just thought there's a little faster throw to J.T., little quicker throw than trying to cross-body it to Bryce (Harper at first). So just a horses*** throw.'

'I was surprised he threw it home,' Kim said through a translator. 'I just ran as hard as I could.'

The Dodgers now advance to the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers, who will play Game 4 on Friday at Wrigley Field.

'That was a nail-biter,' beer-soaked Dodgers catcher Will Smith said in the postgame celebration. 'They cracked. We didn't.'

This was the second postseason series to end on a walk-off error, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Nine years to the day earlier, a wild relay throw by Texas second baseman Rougned Odor on a potential double-play grounder allowed Josh Donaldson to score and give Toronto a 7-6, 10-inning win and a three-game AL Division Series sweep.

Los Angeles ended a postseason series with a walk-off win for the third time after Bill Russell's single against the Phillies in Game 4 of the 1978 NLCS and Chris Taylor's homer in the 2021 NL wild card game.

'They held us at bay for eight innings and we just couldn't push through there at the end,' Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber said.

Nick Castellanos' RBI double in the seventh off Emmet Sheehan had put the Phillies ahead but Jhoan Duran walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the bottom half, forcing in the tying run.

Tommy Edman singled off Jesús Luzardo with one out in the 11th and took third on Max Muncy's two-out single that eluded diving shortstop Trea Turner.

'It was very stressful the last few innings,' Edman said. 'You knew that every little play meant that much more.'

Kerkering walked Kiké Hernández, loading the bases. Pages, in a 1-for-23 postseason slide, hit what appeared to be a routine grounder, the type every pitcher practices gloving from spring training on.

Philadelphia, wearing its powder blue throwback uniforms on the road for the second straight game, was knocked out in the Division Series for the second straight season while the defending World Series champion Dodgers reached the LCS for the eighth time in 13 years.

Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki, averaging 99.5 mph on his fastball, threw three innings of hitless relief, combining with Tyler Glasnow, Sheehan and winner Alex Vesia on a four-hitter.

'Just felt like my fastball velo was back to where it used to be, and the command of the fastball was where I wanted it to be as well,' Sasaki said through a translator. 'Because of that I do really feel confident to be able to attack in zone.'

Glasnow allowed two hits and three walks in six innings with eight of the 12 strikeouts by Dodgers pitchers.

'It's amazing,' Glasnow said. 'Everyone contributed. It was a great game.'