‘He Throws It Away!’ Phillies Pitcher Makes All-Time Blunder To Send Dodgers to the NLCS

The Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night thanks to a grotesque miscue by Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 11th, the Dodgers hit a pair of singles to chase Jesus Lazardo from the game. With two outs, Phillies manager Rob Thomson called on Kerkering to get the final out. Instead, the 24-year-old righty walked the first batter he faced before inducing a weak comebacker from Andy Pages.

Kerkering initially mishandled the ball, but he had plenty of time to throw to first for the final out of the inning. Instead, he panicked and made an errant throw home that sailed passed catcher J.T. Realmuto. As a result, pinch runner Hyesong Kim scored the winning run and the Dodgers won the series 3-1.

Brian Anderson and Jeff Francoeur were on the call for TBS:

ANDERSON: It’s 0 and 1. Kerkering trying to send this one to the 12th. No balls and a strike. Pages breaks his bat, Kerkering gotta find it. Throws to the plate! Oh my goodness! He throws it away! And the Dodgers have won! The Dodgers win and they are moving on to the NLCS in a most improbable finish! Pandemonium in Dodger Stadium!

And your heart breaks for Orion Kerkering. The Dodgers ecstatic. This game ends in the cruelest way for the Phillies.

FRANCOEUR: You hate the game ended this way. It was played so well and Kerkering right there, plenty of time to go to first. I mean plenty of time to go to first even though he bobbled it and just kind of in the moment panicked. And look at that right there, even if he threw a good one he’s safe [at home].

Replays showed that Francoeur was correct and that an accurate throw to first would’ve beaten Pages to the bag. Meanwhile, even if Kerkering’s throw to the plate were on target, it appeared it would have been late.

After throwing the ball away, Kerkering hunched over with his hands on his knees as the Dodgers stormed the field. When he got back to the dugout, his coaches and teammates consoled him.

Of course, getting out of the 11th inning jam was no guarantee of a Phillies victory. And even if Philadelphia had managed to win the game, they would still need to win Game 5.

Watch above via TBS.