Orion Kerkering made his MLB debut on Sept. 24, 2023 with his father watching in the stands from Citizens Bank Park. He struck out two hits and didn't give up a single hit. The PIX 11 broadcast found Kerkering's father in the stands, crying his eyes out for most of the frame.
Orion Kerkering's dad crying for an entire inning in his son's MLB debut was one of the coolest moments of the season. I don't care what team you root for. pic.twitter.com/q1WPHndf7h
— John DeMarsico (@JohnDeMarsico) September 25, 2023
These are the moments Kerkering and his family will remember forever. What happened on Thursday night in Los Angeles is one he'll want to forget. Kerkering was asked to pitch the bottom of the 11th inning. While he loaded the bases on some questionable pitch location and sequencing, Kerkering had a chance to get out of a jam.
Andy Pages hit a dribbler back to the mound, which Kerkering mishandled. Even so, had he been able to grip the ball and throw to first base, he likely would have gotten the out with plenty of time. None of that happened. In a fluke play he probably couldn't make again if he tried, Kerkering picked up the ball in a rush and flung it towards home plate. JT Realmuto had no chance to make the play, and the game was over in a flash.
THE @DODGERS WALK IT OFF AND ARE #NLCS BOUND! pic.twitter.com/7GKwsscWkZ
— MLB (@MLB) October 10, 2025
These are two raw, human moments by the same player. Kerkering is a former top-100 prospect and has faced adversity time and time again. Most of us would struggle to get on a big-league mound again after such a crushing defeat. Kerkering will be asked to do so in a couple of months.
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Rob Thomson came to Orion Kerkering's defense after crushing Phillies loss
Rob Thomson is many things. For now, employed is still an attribute you can assign to him, though the Phillies could reconsider his job status following Thursday's postseason defeat. The Phillies have fallen short in three straight playoffs, all in brutal fashion. In 2023, they blew a 2-0 NLCS lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2024, they lost to the rival Mets in the NLDS. And this season, the stars didn't show up when the lights were brightest, and yet a 24-year-old relief pitcher is the storyline.
Rob Thomson had his pitcher's back after a gutwrenching error to end their season pic.twitter.com/ctY1J4z1Sn
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 10, 2025
Thomson didn't care about any of that, though, when asked after the game. Instead, he rushed to Kerkering's aid, and defended his players for their effort.
"I feel for [Orion Kerkering] because he's putting it all on his shoulders. But we win as a team and we lose as a team," Thomson said, before adding the following about his job status. “I’m not even thinking about that (my job) right now. I’ve got 60 people in there that are brokenhearted right now. I’m thinking about that a lot more than my job right now."
A series of comments may not be enough to save Thomson's job. Baseball is a ruthless, cutthroat business, and even though the Phillies won 95 games this season they weren't good enough when it mattered most. If Thomson is fired prematurely, he'll go out as his players remember him – a remarkable human and a manager who always put his team first.