Phillies No Hitter thrown by trade deadline acquisition Mike Lorenzen — and it was Baseball Magic.

Man, I still can’t believe I was there to witness it! Michael Lorenzen, in just his second game with our Phillies, pitched the 14th no-hitter in the franchise’s storied history, shutting down the Washington Nationals 7-0. And doing it on a Wednesday night? Perfect midweek treat!

At 31, Lorenzen was absolutely on fire. Striking out five and walking four, he delivered 124 pitches – the most thrown in a single game this season and the highest for a solo no-hitter since Mike Fiers in 2019.

That ninth inning? Unreal. Thomas grounded out, Meneses struck out looking, and when Lorenzen got Smith to pop out, Citizens Bank Park just exploded. The atmosphere was electric! All of us, 30,406 strong, went wild, and watching Lorenzen celebrate with his teammates on the field was something I won’t soon forget.

Lorenzen himself put it best: “Walking out for the seventh, eighth and ninth, man, these fans. I’ve never been part of an organization where fans are a part of the team.” And it’s true. As a Phillies fan, being in that crowd, feeling that energy, you can’t help but think you’re part of the game.

It was so touching to see Lorenzen’s mom, Cheryl, and his wife, Cassi, tearing up in the stands. And when he lifted their 9-month-old daughter, June, after the game for a kiss, it was a picture-perfect moment.

The moment Mike Lo closed out the No Hitter as seen from 419. Go #Phillies pic.twitter.com/OwNLrMtzZ9
— Greg Taylor (@GRTaylor2) August 10, 2023

This wasn’t just any no-hitter. It was only the second one at Citizens Bank Park since it opened in 2004. The last was by the legendary Roy Halladay against Cincinnati in 2010.

Michael Lorenzen has shown he’s got what it takes to push our Phillies toward the postseason, and seeing the guys in the clubhouse – Schwarber, Hoskins and the rest – celebrating the achievement and the trade decision was fantastic. Especially since, before this, the Phillies hadn’t thrown a complete game since last August.

The last Phillies no hitter before this? That was Cole Hamels back in 2015 against the Cubs.

Lorenzen’s performance was made even more historic given the fact that the Nationals hadn’t been no-hit since they were the Montreal Expos, way back in 1999. Lorenzen really stepped up, and we’re lucky to have him in Philly.

Finishing up, it was heartening to see the Nationals give credit where it’s due. Thomas said it best: “I thought he made good pitches when he needed to. Especially when his pitch count got high, I thought he threw some good pitches to get some soft contact.”

What a night. A Phillies No Hitter by Mike Lorenzen. A night for the history books and one I’m proud to say, “I was there!” Go Phillies!