NL DIVISION SERIES: METS VS PHILLIES

October 6, 2024

Orion Kerkering

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame 2 Press Conference

Q. Now that you've seen the Mets' offense multiple times this year, what type of challenges do they bring for you as a reliever?

ORION KERKERING: I mean, like you said, we just faced them a lot this year, and just kind of seeing the same guys over and over again, so it's just not trying to overdo what you do all year, How you got them out. Try to attack them the same way, stick to the game plan no matter what.

Q. The pitch mix change this year, obviously swapped out the two-seamer for the four-seamer, a little lower in terms of strikeouts but the walk rate is halved. And I'm just wondering overall what have you seen out of that change? Does this feel like a pitch mix that you are happier with?

ORION KERKERING: 100 percent. Yeah, just kind of helping out with both righties and lefties, between the counts and different hitters and what their tendencies are with some guys. Whether it's even a lefty throwing that sinker or two-seam, and then the same with righties especially, just trying to get that ground ball pitch to them.

Q. Given the way the pitches broke for you yesterday, how close did you feel to executing, compared to how the results came?

ORION KERKERING: I felt like I executed the pitches I needed to. J.T. put a really good hit, barrel on the ball. Just kind of tip your cap on that one. Just kind of executed where J.T. wanted it and put a good ball in play. Maybe left that slider up a little bit too much to Marte, but I got the pitches I needed and just what I wanted for that specific situation, between movement with the runners and sac flies and stuff like that.

Q. Obviously not a lot of nights like last night for guys like Strahm or Hoffman, especially. As a bullpen as a whole, do you kind of welcome the opportunity that you have such another high-stakes game today and you could be right back out there in the 7th, 8th, or 9th inning in a close game tonight?

ORION KERKERING: 100 percent, yeah. Yesterday it is what it is, and guys know that out there. We have such a veteran staff, between the starting relievers especially. Just it is what it is, everyone's got a bad day once in a while.

If you look at all of our stuff, we have more zeros than three runs, five runs. I think that's what we can take away from it. Every game that we pitch I'm sure we have over 60 appearances between all of us, and I'm sure there's probably 3 out of the 60 that's been a bad day. So to me that's not a bad day at all.

It's just it is what it is, move on from it, because we have hopefully another 11 more games to win and we're going to win it all.