'Tricky' shadows, 'cruelest way' for a game to end, and more from the Phillies-Dodgers Game 4 broadcast

Ariel Simpson, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Oct 9, 2025

Published in Baseball

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The Phillies suffered an 11-inning 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, putting an early end to the Phillies’ postseason run.

From tricky shadows to a fielding error to end the game, here are some of the best and worst moments from the Game 4 broadcast …

‘Tricky’ shadows

TBS broadcaster Brian Anderson asked analyst and former Phillie Jeff Francoeur about the challenges both teams faced heading into Game 4. Francoeur said one of the toughest challenges for both teams was something out of their control: the shadows.

“In about another 20 minutes you’re going to see those shadows by the L.A. sign start to creep into the batter’s box and that’s where it’s going to get tricky,” Francoeur said. “Always tough as an outfielder here on high fly balls with this sky being so blue. If there’s a ball coming to you and you don’t see it, you have to let that guy know next to you right away so he can come sprinting over.”

The shadows really started to become a problem in the third inning as they crept across the infield, covering the batter’s box on the left and right side of the plate.

“Shadows are creeping,” Anderson said. “That’s going to be the story for the next couple of hours here as these hitters try to adjust.”

Francoeur added: “As good as [Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez’s] slider is at times too, these shadows, the way the ball is coming out right now, his two pitches, he can just piggyback both of them.”

Air Max makes the play

As the batters battled with the shadows, the outfielders battled a bright sun. But that was no match for Phillies’ outfielder Max Kepler. The 32-year-old went airborne with a diving catch in left center in the second inning to rob Tommy Edman of a hit.

“That ball, usually if it’s coming that way, it’s hooking to you,” Francoeur said. “That ball was going away from Kepler. And let me tell you, looking into this bright sky in the stands over here, that’s not an easy play.”

A clutch Castellanos silences Dodgers fans

The Phillies scored first in the seventh inning, thanks to an RBI double from Nick Castellanos.

“Castellanos, 2 for 14 this postseason but both hits have been huge doubles,” Francoeur said. “Driving in Game 2 and this one right here to get the Phillies a 1-0 lead.”

After taking the first lead of the game, Dodgers’ fans morale lowered.

“The Phillies have silenced this crowd,” Anderson said.

That didn’t last long.

Extra innings with Anderson and Francoeur

With the score tied at 1 after nine innings, Game 4 made its way to extra innings. And fans didn’t have to worry about the broadcast crew getting tired. Anderson and Francoeur had experience working long nights.

“You’ve come to the right spot for your extra innings announcers,” Anderson said. “[We] covered an 18-inning extra inning game a few years ago in Seattle. I will tell you the theme in that game, and it continues on, there are a lot of hitters trying to hit the long ball.”

They called the 18-inning postseason game between the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners in 2022 as part of the TBS broadcast team.

‘It was a classic’

Thursday’s game didn’t go to 18 innings. In the 11th, Andy Pages hit the ball toward Orion Kerkering, who made a costly error — throwing the ball wide of home plate, allowing Hyeseong Kim to score and giving the Dodgers a 2-1 victory.

“This game ends in the cruelest way for the Phillies,” Anderson said. “It was a classic game. It had all the makeup of one of those classics. And you just want to wrap your arms around Orion Kerkering.

“I mean, that is something he will think about for a long, long time. He’s a great young pitcher and you hope he comes back and has a great long career. He’s a guy you’re going to root for, for the rest of his career after that.”

Francoeur responded: “You hate that the game ended this way. It was played so well. Kerkering right there, plenty of time to go to first. I mean plenty of time to go to first, even though he bobbled it. And just kind of in the moment panicked. Look at it right there, even if he threw a good one, he’s safe.”