Michael Lorenzen throws a no-hitter in his house debut with the Phillies, 14th in franchise historical past

MLB

“Welcome to Philadelphia, buddy.”

By DAN GELSTON, Related Press

August 10, 2023 | 7:49 AM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Lorenzen walked to the mound to begin the ninth inning — of simply his second begin with the Phillies, his first in Philadelphia — engrossed within the ardour of followers roaring for him to finish a no-hitter, and thought of the scene the best second of his baseball profession.

“Simply strolling out of the dugout, listening to the followers go wild, it gave me the chills,” Lorenzen mentioned. “It gave that increase of vitality that I wanted, for positive.”

Boy, did it get wild in Philly simply three outs later.

Lorenzen threw the 14th no-hitter in Phillies historical past, a blinding efficiency that led Philadelphia to a 7-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday evening. He turned the fifth pitcher in main league historical past, and solely the second since 1900, to throw a no-hitter in his house debut with a brand new group.

“Unbelievable, bro,” supervisor Rob Thomson mentioned throughout a clubhouse toast. “Welcome to Philadelphia, buddy.”

The Phillies cheered for one in every of their latest teammates, who has settled in to near-perfection since he was acquired from Detroit on the commerce deadline. Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins and different Phillies clapped, laughed and yelled “nice commerce” as group president Dave Dombrowski walked by way of the clubhouse shaking palms.

The 31-year-old Lorenzen (7-7) struck out 5, walked 4 and improved to 2-0 since he was acquired from the Tigers for a minor leaguer.

Lorenzen retired Lane Thomas on a grounder to open the ninth and struck out Joey Meneses trying.

The group of 30,406 erupted when Lorenzen induced a popup from Dominic Smith on his career-high 124th pitch to finish his first profession full recreation in 2 hours, 9 minutes. Lorenzen stood on the mound and raised his arms in triumph earlier than working into the ready arms of catcher J.T. Realmuto. Lorenzen then flipped his cap backward and was mobbed by his teammates in a rowdy celebration close to the plate.

“You’ve simply bought to stay within the strike zone and hope they proceed to hit balls proper at guys,” he mentioned. “That was form of the story of the evening. In the event you hand over a base hit, you hand over a base hit. So what?”

Lorenzen’s mom, Cheryl, and spouse, Cassi, wept within the stands throughout the remaining out, with Cassi holding their 9-month-old-daughter, June. Lorenzen later held his child aloft on the sector and smooched her on the cheek.

His teammates lingered close to the dugout and continued the road of hugs and high-fives — a sight not not like those final October at Residents Financial institution Park throughout Philadelphia’s run to the World Sequence.

Lorenzen proved he can play a key function in main the Phillies again to the postseason.

The Phillies acquired the right-hander to stabilize their rotation because the defending Nationwide League champions battled the San Francisco Giants for the highest wild-card spot.

Lorenzen pushed his pitch rely to the purpose the place it was questionable if Thomson would let him end the sport. However he saved the ball and have become the primary Phillies pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Cole Hamels on July 25, 2015 towards the Cubs. Hamels retired final week.

Thomson mentioned he talked to Lorenzen after the seventh and informed the righty he had solely about 20 pitches left.

“You higher get fast outs,” Thomson informed him.

After a few labor-intensive innings early, Lorenzen settled down and made fast work of the Nationals.

“Truthfully I used to be upset at myself for the primary couple of innings, they had been lengthy innings, strolling guys. And I knew I used to be simply ruining my probabilities to go deep on this recreation,” Lorenzen mentioned. “Simply attempting to purchase some extra innings and (Thomson) gave them to me. So hats off to him.”

Washington was no-hit for the primary time in its 19 seasons because the franchise moved from Montreal. The Expos had been final no-hit when the Yankees’ David Cone threw an ideal recreation on July 18, 1999.

The Phillies hadn’t even thrown a whole recreation this season. Their most up-to-date was final Aug. 25 when Aaron Nola blanked Cincinnati.

The franchise’s 14 no-hitters embody Roy Halladay’s towards Cincinnati within the NL Division Sequence on Oct. 6, 2010.

The no-hitter was the fourth within the majors this season. Houston’s Framber Valdez threw one towards Cleveland on Aug. 1. New York Yankees right-hander Domingo Germán pitched an ideal recreation at Oakland on June 28, and Matt Manning, Alex Lange and Jason Foley of Detroit threw a mixed no-no towards Toronto on July 8.

Lorenzen, an All-Star this season for the Tigers, threw a season-high eight innings of two-run ball in his Phillies debut final week.

Lorenzen already has one massive memento from the no-no: Philadelphia’s grounds crew dug up the rubber and introduced it to the pitcher within the clubhouse. And the Baseball Corridor of Fame will likely be accepting one other: Lorenzen’s white Vans spikes.

The Nationals merely tipped their caps.

“I believed he threw pitches across the zone, not likely in the midst of the zone, so he made it troublesome for us,” Thomas mentioned. “I believed he made good pitches when he wanted to. Particularly when his pitch rely bought excessive, I believed he threw some good pitches to get some mushy contact.”

Thomson improved to 38-36 in a profession that started in 2015 with the Reds. He’s by no means gained greater than eight video games in a season however figures to high that, and the Phillies predict many extra.

“This recreation has punched me within the face so many instances,” he mentioned. “I’ve simply bought to depend on the work that I put in and belief and hope it’s going to repay in some unspecified time in the future.”

With an enormous second in Philly, it did.

ROOKIE’S MEMORABLE DAY

Phillies left fielder Weston Wilson homered in his first main league plate look and after almost 2,900 at-bats within the minor leagues.

Nick Castellanos homered twice to achieve 200 for his profession.

Wilson batted seventh and hit the third pitch he noticed from MacKenzie Gore (6-9) into the seats in left-center. His solo homer gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead within the second inning.

Marlon Anderson was the final Phillies participant to homer in his first MLB at-bat, on Sept. 8, 1998.

Wilson was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers within the seventeenth spherical of the 2016 draft, and had 2,836 plate appearances within the minors till he was referred to as up Sunday from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Wilson, who turns 29 subsequent month, was greeted by teammate Bryce Harper on the high step of the dugout, whereas his household cheered on one of many latest Phillies from the stands.

Wilson walked within the fourth inning, stole second base and scored on a bloop single by John Rojas that made it 6-0.

UP NEXT

The Nationals ship LHP Patrick Corbin (7-11, 5.03 ERA) to the mound towards Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (9-8, 4.58).