3 Phillies to blame for lifeless NLCS Game 3 defeat
By Kristen Wong
Orion Kerkering
Rob Thomson made a gutsy move to put in rookie Orion Kerkering to replace Jeff Hoffman at the top of the seventh inning.
Based on Kerkering's fantastic performance against the Braves last series, this move made some sense. It just didn't pan out like the Phillies hoped it would.
After just a handful of pitches, Kerkering gave up two singles and a double with no outs. It quickly became clear that his short stint was catching fire; Jose Alvarado extinguished the flames with a dominant eighth inning to prevent the D-Backs from taking the lead.
Next time, the Phillies may think twice before sending out the rookie into precarious spots. Kerkering proved his value other times this postseason, so perhaps this was just a flukey performance. Still, Kerkering showed some concerning flaws against the D-Backs, like being unable to execute pitches against righties.