Uncomfortably numb.

For you diehard Phillies’ fans, it was a state of deja vu against the Dodgers 47 years later.

Most of us had that feeling watching Orion Kerkering’s wide toss to J.T. Realmuto as the Dodgers’ winning run crossed the plate for their 2-1 victory Thursday night.

Yes, Kerkering could have easily thrown to first for the final out, and he had been pitching well.

I was stunned, but I had that feeling the Phils would lose. They didn’t hit and missed their opportunities when Dodgers’ starter Tyler Glasgow — who had them handcuffed — left the game.

The questions have been rolling through your mind, as the Phillies will begin next year 17 years removed from their last championship in 2008.

Should Bryson Stott have bunted in Game 2 with the Dodgers working the wheel play? Do you walk Shohei Ohtani to load the bases Thursday night when he was one for his last 17 with eight strikeouts, and hitting .222 overall in the postseason?

There certainly will be more to come.

In this version of the Behind the Plate column, I’ll take the initial look at the reasons behind the Phillies exit, some of the Yankees issues, where some ex-Phillies are still alive in the playoffs, and a look at one of the game’s lost staples.

Also, I’ll peel through some clippings of a former Northern Lehigh standout. Finally, how did the Phillies lose the 1978 NLCS in similar fashion to the Dodgers?

Where’s the Beef ... One glaring stat that rubbed salt in the Phillies wounds was their average in the series with runners in scoring position. In the series, they were 4-for-30, or a .133 average.

Furthermore, take a look at these series averages: Trea Turner .235; Bryce Harper .200; Kyle Schwarber .188; Brandon Marsh .077; Max Kepler .167; Nick Castellanos .133, and Bryson Stott .154.

On Thursday, Turner, Schwarber and Harper were a combined 1-for-14 with a walk.

The Bunt ... Most of us were shocked when Stott bunted, trying to move Castellanos to third. But the Dodgers had a wheel play on, and Castellanos — not known for his speed — was easily out at third.

But colleague and Phillies’ aficionado Rod Heckman quickly responded when I questioned him about, “What was probably the most famous bunt in Phillies history?”

It was former Dodger Vic Davalillo in Game 3 of the 1977 National League Championship Series, or better known as “Black Friday.”

Davalillo, who was 41 at the time and whose contract was recently purchased from the Mexican League, slapped a two-out bunt that was placed perfectly between first baseman Richie Hebner and pitcher Gene Garber.

That was the start of a three-run rally and eventually left Phillies fans shocked and stunned in a 6-5 defeat.

Davalillo was the perfect choice in that spot, as he hit .313 as a pinch-hitter that year. He had stops along the way with Cleveland, St, Louis, Pittsburgh and Oakland, gaining World Series rings with the Pirates and A’s.

Laying It Down ... Bunting has become a lost art in today’s game after it was an integral part of the game.

Here is a list of the top 10 successful bunters who had the highest percentage of turning their bunts into hits. You may remember some of them, and some may surprise you:

1) Lee Mazzilli, 40 bunts, 35 hits, 87.5 percent

2) Don Blasingame, 77, 66, 85.7

3) Steve Garvey, 56, 46. 82.1

4) Nellie Fox, 47, 35, 51.4

5) Don Kessinger, 60, 44, 73.3

6) Matty Alou, 123, 96, 73.2

7) Rod Carew, 123, 91, 72.2

8) Vada Pinson, 44, 31, 70.5

9) Tommy Harper, 90, 57, 70.2

10) Pete Rose, 93, 65, 69.9

Heading North ... Did you notice who got the win and save for the Blue Jays in the playoff-clinching win over the Yankees?

Former Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominquez picked up the win, while former Phillies teammate Jeff Hoffman recorded the save.

Dominquez was picked from the Orioles, and he has a 2-1 record with a 3.00 ERA. Hoffman was signed as a free agent in January and has a 9-7, 4.37 slate with 33 saves as their closer.

Outfielder and catcher Daulton Varsho, who is hitting .238, is the son of former Phillies’ player, coach and manager Gary Varsho. The elder Varsho managed the Phillies for the final two games in 2004 when Larry Bowa was fired.

Varsho is currently a scout for the Angels.

Damm Yankees ... If you’re a Yankees fan, you’re still probably reeling from Wednesday’s elimination loss by the Blue Jays. But if you’re a Brian Cashman/Aaron Boone fan, don’t worry. The duo likely will be back in 2026.

Aside from his share of questionable calls and decisions — pulling pitchers too early — you can’t pin this on Boone. He simply played the hand Cashman dealt him.

Cashman’s hand wasn’t bad, either. He added pitchers David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and also Jake Bird, who was sent to the minors. He also annexed speedy utilitymen Amed Rosario and Jose Caballero.

The Yanks appeared set with Carlos Rodon shedding any mound issues from the past and rookie phenom Cam Schlittler. Devin Williams was an effective reliever again.

However, the Yankees again fell victim to what has haunted them since they won their last World Series in 2009 — building a team with power hitters.

If the Yanks are to win their 28th championship, they should think about changing the infrastructure of their club.

By the way, if Damm Yankees sounds familiar to those of my 60-year-plus brethren out there, the group Damm Yankees released the song “High Enough,” which was a hit in 1990. If you don’t remember it, look it up on YouTube.

Yank-It ... There will be plenty of Yankees’ speculation in the offseason on what moves the Bronx Bombers should make.

The following will be free agents: Cody Bellinger (he can opt put and test the market) Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.

Bellinger should be re-signed, and Goldschmidt, at 38, is unlikely. Grisham could expect a qualifying offer of around $22 million, but flopped in the postseason (.137 average). Weaver likely pitched himself out of the Bronx, and Williams will be a tough call.

The toughest call could be the future of shortstop Anthony Volpe, who hit .192 with 16 strikeouts in the postseason after his 19-homer, 72 RBI, .212 season in which he committed a league-high 19 errors. In three years, Volpe has a .222 average with 57 errors.

Stay tuned.

Save Your Money ... MLB will open the 2026 season on March 25 with the Yankees in San Francisco with the game exclusively on NetFlix, which will also televise the All-Star Game Home Run Derby (in Philly, in case you didn’t know). NetFlix signed a three-year deal.

If all goes well, look for NetFlix to get more involved in the immediate future. Also, NetFlix will add to Yankees’ broadcasts to be seen on YES, ESPN, Amazon Prime, NBC Peacock, TNT and Fox.

Scrapbook ... Each column, I’ll turn back the pages and review the career of a former standout from our area.

Northern Lehigh’s Cody Krupa was a stellar infielder who was a Colonial League All-Star as a Bulldog.

Krupa continued his career at King’s College, where he was a third baseman and designated hitter. In 38 games, Krupa hit .276 with one homer and five RBIs. His best season was his senior year in 2013 when he hit .282.

He built on his playing career to become a manager. Since 2024, Krupa has been the assistant head coach at Lebanon Valley College. Krupa also had a stint at his alma mater, has been the co-manager and manager of the Berlinsville Braves of the Blue Mountain League, and was an assistant with the 2019 Atlantic Coast Baseball League Allentown Railers.

Time Passages ... Each column, I’ll rewind the tape to review a former player, coach, game, or a situation from our national pastime.

In keeping with the Phillies’ collapse, do you remember when Garry Maddox dropped a soft liner hit by Dusty Baker that lead to a Dodgers’ clinching 4-3 victory in the NLCS in 1978?

The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning when Tug McGraw walked Ron Cey to extend the inning. Baker followed with a liner to a running Maddox, who uncharacteristically dropped the ball. Bill Russell followed with single to end the game.

Maddox would receive his fourth of eight Golden Gloves that season.

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