Dodgers 2-1 Phillies game summary (Oct. 9, 2025)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Orion Kerkering mishandled a ground ball by Cuban Andy Pagés with the bases loaded and ended up throwing poorly toward the plate, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in 11 innings on Thursday and move into the National League Championship Series.
Instead of firing to first base with the bases loaded to make the third out of the eleventh inning, Kerkering threw toward home and did so in an extremely defective manner.
Realizing his mistake, the pitcher lowered his head and put his hands on his knees. His throw sailed over catcher JT Realmuto as pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim came to the plate.
The Dodgers won the division series 3-1. In the Championship Series, they will face the Chicago Cubs or the Milwaukee Brewers.
Realmuto had signaled to first when the two-bounce ground ball hit Kerkering’s glove and rolled just in front of the mound. The carelessness and the run detonated the joy of 50,563 spectators at Dodger Stadium, who had endured the last three innings tense and standing.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson hugged Kerkering when the distraught reliever arrived at the dugout.
It is the second postseason series that has ended with a decisive error, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. A wild throw by Texas second baseman Rougned Odor on a potential double play ground ball allowed Josh Donaldson to score and give Toronto a 7-6 victory in 10 innings and a three-game sweep of their 2016 American League division series.
Nick Castellanos’ RBI double in the seventh inning off Emmet Sheehan had put the Phillies ahead. However, Dominican Jhoan Durán walked Mookie Betts with the bases loaded in the bottom half, forcing the tying run.
Tommy Edman singled off Venezuelan Jesús Luzardo with one out in the 11th and advanced to third on Max Muncy’s single that eluded shortstop Trea Turner with two out.
Kerkering walked Puerto Rican Kiké Hernández to load the bases. Pagés, who had gone 1-for-23 in the postseason, hit what looked like a routine grounder, the kind every pitcher has practiced catching since preseason training.
Philadelphia, which wore its retro “powder blue” uniforms on the road for the second straight day, was eliminated in the division series for the third consecutive season, while the defending World Series champion Dodgers reached the Championship Series for the eighth time in 13 years.
Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki averages 99.5 mph with his fastball and pitched three hitless innings of relief. He combined with Tyler Glasnow, Sheehan and winner Alex Vesia in a four-hit game.
Glasnow allowed two hits and three walks in six innings with eight of the Dodgers’ 12 strikeouts.
For the Dodgers, Dominican Teoscar Hernández is 5-1. Puerto Rican Kiké Hernández 4-1. Cuban Pagés 5-0.
