The Philadelphia Phillies’ season ended in the worst way possible: they were one out away from victory and one mistake away from continuing their playoff run. In the 11th inning of Game 4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Orion Kerkering made a bad throw that cost the Phillies the game 2-1. This was their third straight postseason loss under Rob Thomson. But the talk quickly changed from one player’s mistake to whether Thomson should have put Kerkering in that spot at all.

The play was like a lot of chaos happening in a short amount of time. With the bases loaded and the score tied at 1, Kerkering got Andy Pages to hit a slow grounder that bounced off his foot. He caught the ball as Hyeseong Kim ran for home, then made a split-second choice that he regretted right away. Kerkering fired home instead of throwing to first for the easier out. Play replays showed he had time to do it. The throw went over catcher J.T. Realmuto’s head, and Kim scored the run that won the series. Realmuto had been pointing at first base. Teammates were yelling at each other to follow orders. Kerkering couldn’t hear any of it over the noise of Dodger Stadium.

Former MLB pitcher and now Phillies broadcaster, Ricky Bottalico, didn’t hold back when talking about Thomson’s choice to use Kerkering with runners on base. “A lot of people have heard me say this before—I would not use Orion Kerkering in a playoff game with runners on base,” the broadcaster stated. “I’ve seen it since August 1st. At one point, he had inherited 13 runners, and eight of them scored. I would’ve looked for Kerkering in a clean inning. I would not have brought him in with runners on base. I would’ve tried something else or gone to somebody else.” The criticism cut straight to Thomson’s management choices, pointing to statistical evidence that had been building for months.

Thomson met Kerkering at the dugout step and gave him comfort right away. “Just keep his head up,” Thomson said. “He just got caught up in the moment a little bit. Coming down the stretch, he pitched so well for us. 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.” Kerkering’s teammates also supported him, reminding him that baseball happens in moments that are out of a player’s control. But support doesn’t answer the questions about Thomson’s bullpen choices or the fact that Philadelphia’s 96-win season ended in a familiar playoff heartbreak.

But Kerkering’s mistake was the last straw in a game that the Phillies had been losing all night long. The team didn’t lose Game 4 because of just one pitcher’s mistake. They couldn’t make the most of the chances they had, and the bullpen fell apart at the worst possible time.

How the Dodgers outlasted the Phillies to keep championship defense alive

The Phillies’ failure wasn’t just due to one player or one bad decision; it was a result of nine innings of missed chances and critical mistakes. As the game went on, it became painfully clear that the game was slipping out of the Phillies’ hands. Los Angeles fought hard to win 2-1 in 11 innings on Thursday night, keeping its championship defense going while the Philadelphia Phillies watched another season end in pain. The World Series champions wouldn’t give up, which made for one of the most exciting endings in October baseball history.

In the seventh inning, it looked like Philadelphia had control of its own fate. Nick Castellanos hit a double that brought Max Kepler home, putting the Phillies up 1-0. For nine outs, the bullpen had to keep that lead safe. Instead, Cristopher Sanchez walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the ninth inning. This let Justin Dean jog home and tie the game. The game went into extra innings, which was the start of Kerkering’s nightmare.

Los Angeles made it through because its pitchers found something special. Roki Sasaki, a Japanese rookie who was brought in as a starter, moved to relief and dominated the Philadelphia lineup. He pitched three scoreless innings and struck out two batters, using only 36 pitches. His ability to get things done kept the Dodgers in the game when their season was on the line.

The difference was clear. Philadelphia had chances but couldn’t take advantage of them. Los Angeles got the answers it needed at the right time. The Dodgers move on to the NLCS, where they will defend their title. The Phillies go home, their window of opportunity closing again. They wonder how many more chances they will get before this core group gets too old to compete.