Michael Lorenzen's no-hitter in Phillies' home debut stands as testament to late father's unwavering spirit: "He would've been fired up, for sure"

On August 9, Michael Lorenzen struck out five Washington Nationals across nine innings to earn the 14th no-hitter in Phillies history. A spectacular feat to be sure, the specifics make it all the more heartwarming.

A native of Anaheim, California, Lorenzen was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round of the 2013 MLB Draft. In 2015, Lorenzen's first season, he struggled on the mound. Splitting his time between the rotation and the bullpen, the 6-foot-3 left hander finished with a 5.40 ERA and a WHIP over 1.6.

However, things began improving for Lorenzen. In 2016, he posted a 2.88 ERA in 35 starts out of the bullpen. In August of that season, Michael Lorezen received word that his father had passed away. In a poetic fashion, he hit his first career home run after coming back from bereavement leave.

In 2023, Lorenzen joined the Detroit Tigers. Despite tossing for one of the AL's worst teams, his 3.58 ERA in 18 starts gained him an All-Star appearance. On August 1, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

After allowing just two earned runs across eight innings in Miami against the Marlins on August 3, Lorenzen returned to Citizens Bank Park with his new team to make his home debut as a Philly.

Less than three hours later, Michael Lorenzen got Washington Nationals outfielder Dominic Smith to fly out, recording the 14th no hitter in Phillies history. After the game, Lorenzen was rushed by his wife, mother and newborn daughter. However, the 31-year old was thinking about his late father, Clif, and said:

"[If he were here,] he'd be right there with my mom, jumping up and down and showing that type of excitement. He would've been fired up, for sure. And I have three brothers at home that I know are celebrating, and a bunch of nieces and nephews that I know are celebrating as well."

With the victory, the Phillies improved their record to 62-53. They now find themselves sitting comfortably in the first NL Wild Card spot, 3.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants.

A night that Michael Lorenzen will never forget

In addition to being an All-Star pitcher, Michael Lorenzen is also regarded as one of the better hitting pitchers in MLB. He has hit 7 home runs over his 9 seasons, 4 of which came during his time with the Cincinnati Reds in 2018. However, it is likely that Lorenzen will not be forgetting this momentous moment anytime soon.