If you were looking for a high-octane slugfest at Dodger Stadium to keep the season alive, you definitely didn't get it. Honestly, it was one of those games that makes you want to stare at a blank wall for three hours. The final score of the Phillies game was a brutal 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and just like that, the 2025 postseason run vanished.
It ended in the 11th inning. Eleven innings of stress.
Usually, when we talk about a 2-1 game, we’re praising the pitching. And look, the pitching was actually fine. It was the offense—the big, expensive, superstar-laden offense—that basically went into a deep freeze at the worst possible moment.
The Breakdown: That Final Score of the Phillies Game
Let’s get into the weeds of how we got to that 2-1 result. The Phillies went into Game 4 of the NLDS needing a win to stay alive. They had the talent. They had the momentum of a 96-win regular season. But baseball is cruel.
The game was tied 1-1 for what felt like an eternity. Then came the 11th. Orion Kerkering, who has been a stud for much of the year, made a throwing error that allowed the winning run to cross the plate. It wasn't a towering home run or a clean RBI single. It was a mistake. A messy, frustrating throwing error.
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- Final Score: Dodgers 2, Phillies 1 (11 innings)
- Series Result: Dodgers win NLDS 3-1
- The Killer Stat: The Phillies' big three (Harper, Turner, Schwarber) struggled to find grass all night.
You’ve probably seen the highlights by now, or maybe you've avoided them like the plague. It's hard to watch your season end on a defensive miscue after the bats failed to produce with runners in scoring position time and time again.
Why the Offense Disappeared
It’s easy to blame Kerkering for the error, but you can't win games scoring one run in 11 innings. You just can't.
Trea Turner and Bryce Harper are the engines of this team. When they aren't clicking, the whole lineup looks stagnant. During this final game, they looked like they were pressing. Kyle Schwarber, the man who usually provides the "Schwar-bombs" we all crave, couldn't find the seats.
The Dodgers' pitching staff deserved some credit, sure. They mixed their speeds and kept the Phillies off-balance. But for a team with this much payroll invested in hitting, a 2-1 final score feels like a failure of execution rather than a lack of talent.
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The Kerkering Moment
Let's talk about Orion for a second. The kid has a "plus" slider that makes hitters look silly. But the pressure of October is a different beast. That throwing error in the 11th wasn't just a physical mistake; it felt like the culmination of the pressure the team had been under all series.
When the ball left his hand, you could almost hear the collective groan from South Philly to the Jersey Shore. It was a "not like this" moment.
What This Means for the 2026 Season
Now that the dust has settled on that final score of the Phillies game, the front office has some massive decisions to make. We're already seeing the ripples in early 2026.
The standoff with J.T. Realmuto is the big elephant in the room. He’s the heart of the defense and a leader in the clubhouse, but he’s getting older. Do you pay him, or do you look for younger catching depth like the recently signed Rene Pinto?
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Then there's the Max Kepler situation. He was supposed to be a piece of the puzzle, but that 80-game PED suspension that broke recently is a massive wrench in the plans.
Key Roster Moves Already Happening:
- Alec Bohm: Just settled for $10.2 million to avoid arbitration. He’s going to be a free agent soon, so this year is huge for him.
- Brandon Marsh: Agreed to $5.2 million. He’s basically locked in as the primary left fielder against righties.
- Jhoan Duran: The Phils locked him in at $7.5 million. After 32 saves last year, he’s the undisputed closer heading into 2026.
- Chase Shugart: A recent trade with the Pirates brought him in to bolster the middle relief.
Looking Toward Opening Day 2026
We don't have to wait too much longer to wash the taste of that Dodgers loss out of our mouths. The 2026 schedule is already out.
The Phillies will open at home against the Texas Rangers on March 26, 2026. Kickoff—or rather, first pitch—is at 3:05 p.m. ET.
It’s a bit weird playing the Rangers on Opening Day again, but hey, Citizens Bank Park will be rocking regardless. Hopefully, the offense decides to show up this time.
Actionable Steps for Phillies Fans:
- Sync Your Calendar: Mark March 26 for the home opener. Start times for night games are mostly staying at 6:40 p.m., which is a win for those of us who have to work the next morning.
- Watch the Bullpen: Keep an eye on Chase Shugart in Spring Training. The bullpen was the undoing in that final game, and depth is everything.
- Check MLB.TV: There are new updates to the licensing agreements that might help you avoid those annoying local blackouts this year.
The 2-1 loss was a gut punch. There's no other way to put it. But in Philly, we obsess, we complain, and then we show up in March ready to do it all over again.
Next Steps: To get ready for the new season, you should check the updated Spring Training broadcast schedule on the MLB app to see which of the early February games against the Blue Jays and Pirates will be televised.