Orion Kerkering's Dad Crying During His MLB Debut Shutdown Performance Is As Romantic Baseball Can Get

ORION. STARSEED. KERKERING. 

What a beautiful baseball name for a hurler. The prospect - and future closer for the Phillies, seriously, that slider is pure Brad Lidge filth - was able to completely dominate during his Major League debut with his Pops loving every second of it in the stands. How can you not be romantic about baseball? And judging by how quickly Orion shot thru the minors to The Show he might whip off his constellation belt and give it to the entire league sooner than later: 

via BillyPenn: The 22-year-old is the 122nd player to go from the Phillies’ High-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore (formerly Lakewood) BlueClaws to the big club — and the only one to have done it in one season. Kerkering worked through the entire Phillies minor league season over the course of 2023: Nine games in Clearwater (where he allowed no runs), a couple weeks in Jersey (five runs in 21 games), a few in Reading (four runs in 18 games), and a single inning at Lehigh Valley with the IronPigs on Cheesesteaks Night.  

Love it. Love it even more Orion wasn't even the most dominant pitcher for the Phillies last night. Christopher Sanchez is officially playoff ready - 7 innings, 10K, 2 BB, 2 ER, 1 W, and a change up that should come with birth control:

And Michael Lorenzen goes from the shitter the past month to leaving a game with a 1-2-3 save?!?!?! Huzzah!!!!

Off night for the Phillies and the Magic Number is 1. The boys in read are playing some GREAT baseball down the stretch. W's in 8 out of the last 10 which included this 4-game sweepage of the Mets. Season high 18 games above .500. Almost everything is clicking. Alvarado is once again ELITE. Harper's power is BACK. And Nicky C is the hottest he's been stroking all season, in the 7-hole, no less. 

Red October is nigh. Be ready to Ring The Damn Bell. Together.