Philadelphia Phillies’ Michael Lorenzen Tosses No-Hitter in Second Start with Team
The Philadelphia Phillies made a big move at the trading deadline, acquiring pitcher Michael Lorenzen in hopes of bolstering their starting rotation for a playoff push. And in just his second start with the team, Lorenzen did more than deliver – he tossed a no-hitter in a dominant 7-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
Lorenzen’s remarkable outing marked the fourth no-hitter of the season and came just eight days after the previous one by Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros. It was also a month after Justin Verlander expressed concern about the increasing number of no-hitters being combined efforts due to pitch limits.
Unlike Valdez’s no-hitter, which had no walks and faced the minimum number of hitters, Lorenzen had a more challenging path to history. He entered the ninth inning with 111 pitches, already a season high, and had walked four batters.
However, Lorenzen managed to complete the no-hitter by getting Nationals first baseman Dominic Smith to fly out to center fielder Johan Rojas. With a total of 124 pitches, Lorenzen surpassed the record set by Griffin Canning of the Los Angeles Angels for the most thrown by any pitcher in a game this season.
In recent years, concerns about overtaxing pitchers with high pitch counts have led to some managers pulling the plug on no-hit bids. However, with the Phillies leading by seven runs against the Nationals, Manager Rob Thomson had the luxury of leaving Lorenzen in the game to finish the 14th no-hitter in franchise history.
Thomson even joked about the potential consequences he would have faced if he had taken out Lorenzen, saying, “I may have had to wear a bulletproof vest.”
After the game, Lorenzen’s teammates celebrated with him, and his family members cheered from the stands. In a postgame interview, he became emotional when asked how his father, who passed away in 2016, would have reacted to his achievement.
Lorenzen, a right-hander, joined the Phillies earlier this month through a trade from the Detroit Tigers, where he had been in his first season. He represented the Tigers at the All-Star Game last month and pitched in relief. The addition of Lorenzen has strengthened the Phillies’ pitching staff, which already ranks among the top five in opponents’ average, walks and hits per innings pitched, and E.R.A. in the National League.
The Phillies started the season slowly but have climbed up to second place in the N.L. East, in contention for a wild-card position. With star players like Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper returning from injuries, Lorenzen’s no-hitter adds to the team’s momentum as they head into the final stretch of the season.
Lorenzen’s journey to becoming a full-time starter has been remarkable. He made his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 and started 21 games before transitioning to a full-time reliever. Lorenzen also played as an outfielder in college and occasionally pinch hit and played the outfield with Cincinnati. However, his focus shifted to pitching, and he joined the Angels in 2022 to pursue his goal of being a full-time starter.
With his no-hitter performance, Lorenzen proved that his decision to prioritize pitching was the right choice. The Phillies and their fans can now look forward to what Lorenzen will bring to the team as they make a push for the playoffs.