- Orion Kerkering, like any other fan, was looking for tickets for the 2022 World Series
- And now he could be relied on for the Phillies this postseason
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The father of Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering was overwhelmed with emotion Sunday night as his son made a hugely successful MLB debut.
His son struckout two and put out three vs. the Mets in the eighth inning, as Philadelphia won 5-2.
And Kerkering’s father was seen crying throughout the performance in a heartwarming scene, as the crowd at Citizens Bank Park also rose to their feet.
The 22-year-old’s appearance comes just a year after Kerkering, like any other fan, looked for tickets to see the Phillies in the World Series.
Along with his girlfriend and father, Kerkering supported the Phillies from the third row of the upper deck as they hit five home runs against Houston in Game 3.
Orion Kerkering’s father couldn’t contain his emotions when his son made his MLB debut
Kerkering pitches during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets
This postseason, the Phillies could rely on the young right-hander.
Kerkering – who went 4-1 with 14 saves and a 1.51 ERA in 49 relief appearances with four different minor league teams this season – is viewed by Phillies manager Rob Thomson as a potential high-leverage reliever for the ‘ postseason’.
“The one thing guys come here with is how they’re going to handle this environment,” Thomson said.
‘How they deal with the third deck, 40,000 people in the stands, the passion of the city. He looked like he wasn’t even sweating.’
Kerkering is postseason eligible and he hopes to make an impact in the Phillies’ final six regular season games.
His team (87-69) has yet to officially clinch a postseason berth, but could do so Tuesday night.
