The Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series (NLCS) with a 2-1 extra innings victory over the Philadelphia Philliesin a dramatic ending decided by a throwing error by reliever Orion Kerkering during Game 4 of the NLDS.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the 11th inning, Kerkering forced Andy Pages to ground out back to the pitcher. However, instead of throwing to first base to close the inning, he tried to force the play at the plate and threw wide, allowing the winning run and the Dodgers’ pass.
“I’ll take the lesson. This really sucks right now,” said an affected Kerkering, 24, after the match.
Only the second series-deciding mistake in playoff history
Kerkering’s miss is only the second in MLB history to end a postseason series due to a fielding error. The first was in 2016, when Rougned Odor missed a double play that allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to win over the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.
“He got caught up in the moment. He’s been key for us all year. We win and lose as a team,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.
The win marked the third time in history that the Dodgers sealed a series with a walk-off (after 1978 NLCS and 2021 NLWC). With this victory, Los Angeles reaches its eighth NLCS in the last 13 years, where they will face the winner between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.
“I was running for my life,” joked Hyeseong Kim, the pinch-runner who scored the winning run.
Pitchers’ duel: Glasnow shined on the mound
The game was a pitching battle. Tyler Glasnow and three Dodgers relievers allowed just one run on four hits, with 12 strikeouts and four walks. For their part, Dominican Cristopher Sánchez and the Philadelphia bullpen also delivered, giving up two runs on seven hits.
Still, the final error sealed the fate of the Phillies, who were eliminated in the NLDS for the third consecutive year since their appearance in the 2022 World Series.
Cubs force Game 5 after crushing Brewers
On the other front in the National League, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-0 in Game 4 of the NLDS, tying the series and forcing a decisive Game 5 on Saturday in Milwaukee.
Starter Matthew Boyd pitched two-hit ball into the fifth inning, backed by a bullpen that contained the Brewers’ offense. Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch hit home runs, unleashing euphoria among the more than 41,000 fans at Wrigley Field.
“I owed the fans something. We needed this game,” said Happ, who had underperformed in the postseason.
The Cubs, who had lost the first two games in Milwaukee, came back strong and now seek to surprise the best team of the regular season (97-65) to meet the Dodgers in the NLCS.
This is the panorama of the National League
Dodgers: Qualified for the NLCS, waiting for a rival.
Cubs vs. Brewers: Series tied 2-2, with Game 5 in Milwaukee on Saturday.
The winner will face Los Angeles for a place in the 2025 World Series.
