‘I feel sorry for him’: Phillies manager Rob Thomson on Orion Kirkeling’s walk error
Phillies manager Rob Thomson spoke to the media about Orion Kerkeling’s walk-off error that eliminated the Dodgers from the NL CS.
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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers limped through in-season rehearsals, looking like they were just a pedestrian team and might be vulnerable in the postseason.
Sucker.
The Dodgers are threatening to start up again when the calendar flips to October and go where no National League team has gone in nearly 50 years.
Consecutive World Series wins.
The Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in 11 extra innings on Thursday, winning the National League Division Series for the first time in four games and advancing to the National League Championship Series, where they will face the winner of the Milwaukee Brewers-Chicago Cubs series on Monday.
It was an epic pitching battle, but it ended in perhaps the biggest blunder to end a postseason game since New York Mets first baseman Bill Buckner’s blunder in the 1986 World Series.
Phillies relief pitcher Orion Kirkeling plays against Andy Pages with two outs and bases loaded in the 11th inning.thappeared to come out of a jam when he guided a soft bouncer. Kirkeling fumbled the ball, but still had enough time to catch Pages at first base.
Instead, he panicked. It’s an important time.
Kerkeling inexplicably threw home, and the ball went over catcher JT Realmuto, who was trying to throw the pitcher to first base.
As the ball rolled to the backstop, the Dodgers were rushing onto the field to celebrate their return to the National League CS.
This is the first time that a deciding game in a postseason series has been decided by an error.
The Dodgers seem to be peaking at the right time, winning 10 of their last 11 games dating back to the final week of the regular season.
And listening to the Dodgers, it feels like they’re just getting started.
“I think it’s still in gear,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “I don’t think we’re quite at the level that we can get to. That’s not to say we’re there, and it’s not to say we’re not there. But I still think there’s a whole other level that we’re not there yet.”
No one knows how good the Dodgers will be for the rest of October, but this team is so much better than it was over the summer that I always believed this day would finally come.
“We knew who we were as a team all year long, and even though there were times when we weren’t at our best, we believed in who we were,” Muncy said. … We’ve had some tough times this year, but no one in the clubhouse was fazed. And the reality is, I think we had a group of players there that had an amount of experience and talent that gave us confidence that we could get through it. ”
To be honest, there was never any question of the Dodgers playing in October. They have reached the postseason for 13 consecutive seasons and have won 12 National League West titles during that time.
The question was how they would fare once they made the playoffs.
“Obviously every year in spring training,” Muncy said. In reality, only a handful of teams can say that’s a realistic goal. And we are part of that every year.
“So, for us, making the postseason is never a given, it’s never going to happen. But we expect to get here. And when you get to this point, it’s a whole other level. And we’ve had a few years where once we get to this point, we have a little bit of a hard time turning on. We finished the regular season, and we just couldn’t find a way to turn on at this point in the year.”
“I feel like we’ve found that path the last few years, and I think that’s what’s driving us.”
Admittedly, this heavyweight matchup against the Phillies wasn’t easy. Both teams believed this could have been two rounds early in the World Series.
The game brought back memories of Steve Carlton and Don Drysdale, as well as the pitching of Phillies aces Christopher Sanchez and Tyler Glasnow. It was a classic pitching battle between Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow and Phillies ace Christopher Sanchez, each pitching six shutout innings, but it was a second time for the manager.
The move, which will no doubt be second-guessed heading into the winter, was a decision by manager Rob Thomson in the eighth inning that backfired.
A tired Sanchez walked No. 7 batter Alex Cole in the seventh inning, then allowed a sharp single to Enrique Hernandez and retired. Thomson targeted closer Joan Duran for a possible eight-out save.
As Duran gave first baseman Bryce Harper a bouncer with two outs and runners on second and third base, Thomson made a move that would have made a radio talk show host scream in his head.
He chose to intentionally walk Shohei Ohtani.
Under most circumstances, that would make perfect sense, especially considering Ohtani is 2-for-4 home run off Duran in his career.
This is not a normal situation.
Ohtani has had an abysmal record this series, with just one hit and eight strikeouts in 17 at-bats.
Still, Thomson was well aware of his resume and believed Ohtani could break out at any time, so he intentionally gave Duran a walk to load the bases.
Mookie Betts made him pay. Duran gave Betts a walk on a full count, then tied the score at one with a 161 mph fastball thrown high on the fourth pitch.
The move saved Dodgers manager Dave Roberts from pulling Tyler Glasnow after pitching six great innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. Glasnow threw just 83 pitches, but Roberts wanted a fresh arm and called up Emmett Sheehan, who was a starter throughout the regular season but was in the bullpen for the postseason.
Realmuto met him with a leadoff single to center field. Sheehan gave a quick bouncer to Edman at second base, who flipped the ball back to shortstop Mookie Betts for one out, but Sheehan was late covering first base and missed the return ball from Betts. The ball went out of play and Kepler reached second base.
Nick Castellanos was 1-for-13 home run, but Sheehan’s double down the left field line gave Kepler the lead and made him atone for his mistake.
The lead continued until Betts walked in the bottom of the seventh inning, when rookie Aki Sasaki retired all nine batters he faced, handing the game over to the bullpen.
For the Phillies, Duran pitched 1 2/3 innings and Matt Stram pitched one inning before being replaced by starter Jesus Luzardo, who was originally scheduled to pitch in Game 5.
Thomson wanted to secure a Game 5.
It never happened, thanks to a fiasco that will forever be remembered in baseball lore.
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The schedule for Thursday’s game is as follows:
In the bottom of the 11th inning, the Dodgers had two outs and the bases loaded, and Andy Pages hit a come-from-behind hit to Orion Kerkeling, but Kerkeling threw the ball home, but it was an airmail and allowed the winning run.
Alex Bashear started for the Dodgers in the 11th inning, and with one out, he gave up a walk to Bryce Harper. Alec Bohm then hit a ball to the edge of the warning track in center field, surprising the crowd, but it fell as two outs. Beshear caused a wild pitch on his first pitch to pinch hitter Harrison Bader, advancing Harper to second base, but Beshear eventually broke a 10-pitch stalemate and struck out Bader, ending the top of the 11th inning.
Game 2 starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo took the mound in the 10th inning and immediately struck out Shohei Ohtani with three pitches. The left-handed pitcher struck out Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez to end the inning and send the game into the 11th inning.
Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki took out the Phillies in the top of the 10th inning, giving up three scoreless innings and retiring all nine batters he faced. Jesus Luzardo will pitch for the 10th time for the Phillies.
In Game 4, the Dodgers and Phillies will go to overtime. Roki Sasaki played until the second inning of the ninth inning and defeated the Phillies, retiring all six batters he faced. Matt Stram started for the Phillies and pitched until 10 innings without allowing a run.
Major League Baseball’s overtime format is different in the playoffs than in the regular season, with the “ghost runner” who starts at second base being eliminated if a game goes beyond the ninth inning.
Unlike the previous six months of baseball, there will be no free runners in extra innings of the postseason.
For the Dodgers, Aki Sasaki pitched eighth and forced the Phillies to retire in order. For Philadelphia, Joan Duran returned and with two strikeouts including a ground ball, he defeated the Dodgers and brought the game to the ninth inning, tied at 1-1.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Christopher Sanchez replaced Joao Duran with runners on first and second base, and Phillies relief pitcher Andy Pages had two outs. However, manager Rob Thomson chose to intentionally walk Shohei Ohtani in order to force Mookie Betts to load the bases. The former MVP moved the count well and drew a walk to tie the game.
Duran struck out Teoscar Hernandez to get out of the inning, sending the game into the eighth tied at one.
After Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitched six scoreless innings, Emmett Sheehan relieved him in the top of the seventh inning. He allowed a lead-off single to JT Realmuto and then got the first out on a fielder’s choice by Max Kepler, but the ball flew out of bounds as the Dodgers attempted a double play, forcing Kepler to second base.
Nick Castellanos then hit an RBI double in front of third base, bringing home the game’s first run.
However, Sheehan retired Briston Stott and Trea Turner and placed Castellanos at second, making the game 1-0 going into the seventh inning.
Tyler Glasnow and Christopher Sanchez were hitless through the first five innings, with both teams allowing just two hits. Sanchez threw just 62 pitches, no walks, and four strikeouts.
With runners on first and third base and two outs due to an error by third baseman Alec Bohm, the Phillies’ starting pitcher grounded out Mookie Betts to end the bottom of the third inning.
Game 4 was scoreless until the 4th inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, Mookie Betts led off with a single against Christopher Sanchez, then Tommy Edman hit a line drive to left field that looked like he was going to hit the gap until Max Kepler made a nice diving catch. Sanchez then grounded out Will Smith into an inning-ending double play.
Game 4 was being played at Dodger Stadium, and the Phillies threatened in the top of the first inning with Kyle Schwarber’s one-out double. But Tyler Glasnow grounded out Bryce Harper, walked Alec Bohm, and then struck out Brandon Marsh.
USA TODAY Sports MLB reporter Gabe Lux will take questions live on Friday, Oct. 10 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Submit your question now and read the complete Q&A on USATODAY.com.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are not using closer Tanner Scott this postseason and no longer trust him to pitch in key situations, so they removed him from their postseason roster Thursday before Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers received permission from MLB to remove him from the roster and replace him with left-handed reliever Justin Robleski.
Scott, who signed a four-year, $72 million free agent contract, will not be eligible to pitch for the Dodgers until the World Series if the Dodgers advance. Scott, who only briefly warmed up for the National League Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, suffered an “abscess incision” in his lower body, which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced was a minor surgery. — Bob Nightengale
- Trea Turner(R) SS
- Kyle Schwarber (L) DH
- Bryce Harper (L) 1B
- Alec Bohm (R) 3B
- Brandon Marsh (left) CF
- JT Realmute(R)C
- Max Kepler (L) LF
- Nick Castellanos (R) RF
- Bryson Stott (L) 2B
- Shohei Oriya (left) D
- Mookie Betts(R) SS
- Teoscar Hernandez (R) RF
- Freddie Freeman (left) 1B
- Tommy Edman(S) 2B
- Will Smith(R)C
- Alex Cole (R) LF
- Enrique Hernandez (R) 3B
- Andy Pages(R) CF
The first pitch is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.
Where to watch Dodgers vs. Phillies Game 4: TV channels, streams
Thursday’s game will be broadcast on TBS and HBO Max, and can be streamed on Sling TV.
Watch Dodgers vs. Phillies on Sling TV
