Aug. 10 (UPI) — Michael Lorenzen made a remarkable entrance for the Philadelphia Phillies, throwing a no-hitter in just his second start since joining the team. The veteran pitcher’s flawless performance took place in his first home game following a trade.
On Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, Lorenzen etched his name into the MLB record book with a 124-pitch effort. He displayed exceptional control, with 76 strikes, five strikeouts, and four walks, resulting in a 7-0 victory over the Washington Nationals.
“This is the culmination of years of hard work,” Lorenzen expressed to reporters. “It’s a dream come true… That was the most memorable moment of my baseball career.”
Lorenzen’s no-hitter added to the rich history of the Phillies, marking their 14th in the team’s existence. The 31-year-old pitcher joined the Phillies on August 1st after a trade with the Detroit Tigers. This exceptional performance significantly lowered his season ERA from 3.48 to 3.23.
The Phillies took an early 1-0 lead with an RBI double by first baseman Bryce Harper in the bottom of the first inning. Outfielder Nick Castellanos followed it up with a two-run homer, launching the score to 3-0.
Lorenzen faced an early challenge in the second inning when he issued his second walk of the game. However, he bounced back by retiring the next eight hitters consecutively.
In the bottom of the second, outfielder Weston Wilson extended the Phillies’ lead to 4-0 with a powerful solo homer, covering a distance of 429 feet. Castellanos later added a 365-foot solo shot in the bottom of the third, further solidifying the Phillies’ dominance.
Outfielder Johan Rojas increased the lead to 6-0 in the fourth inning with an RBI single, driving in Wilson. Third baseman Alec Bohm contributed to the final run of the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, resulting in a 7-0 victory for the Phillies.
Lorenzen maintained his momentum, retiring 10 consecutive batters to finish the night. He induced a groundout from right fielder Lane Thomas to begin the top of the ninth. Subsequently, he struck out designated hitter Joey Meneses on three pitches.
The final out of the no-hitter came when Lorenzen forced first baseman Dominic Smith to fly out to center field, comfortably caught by Rojas.
Castellanos had an outstanding performance, going 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Designated hitter Trea Turner was the only other player in the game with multiple hits, going 2 for 4. Wilson contributed with one hit, three runs scored, two walks, and an RBI.
Nationals’ starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore had a challenging game, allowing seven hits and six runs over five innings, resulting in a 6-9 record for the season. Lorenzen, on the other hand, improved to 7-7 in the 2023 season.
The Phillies (63-52) will conclude their series against the Nationals (50-65) on Thursday at 6:40 p.m. EDT in Philadelphia.
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