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Brianna Williams, ESPN
Citizens Bank Park was very kind to a pair of Philadelphia Phillies who made their home debuts in Wednesday night’s 7-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
In the bottom of the second inning, the game swung in favor of the Phillies as Weston Wilson became the sixth player in franchise history to homer in his first career at-bat and first since Marlon Anderson in 1998.
Wilson’s 429-foot homer is the farthest by a player in his first career at-bat since Aaron Judge‘s 457-foot moon shot in his 2016 debut.
First Major League at-bat after 7 years in the Minors, home run. 💪
Congratulations Wes Wilson! pic.twitter.com/VC2RSy91z3
— MLB (@MLB) August 9, 2023
Wilson, who spent seven seasons in the minor leagues and most recently played for the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, was third in the International League in home runs before being called up.
He didn’t slow down after his home run. He drew a pair of walks, stole a base and crossed home plate two more times on the night, driven home on singles by Johan Rojas and Alec Bohm. Wilson is the first player to reach base in every plate appearance and score three runs in an MLB debut since Ted Cox did so for the 1967 Red Sox.
The game closed in historic fashion with Michael Lorenzen completing MLB’s fourth no-hitter of the season in his Citizens Bank Park debut. It was the Phillies’ second no-hitter at the ballpark, which opened in 2004, joining Roy Halladay’s hitless effort from the 2010 postseason.
Welcome to Citizens Bank Park, Michael Lorenzen pic.twitter.com/4PpNBAiXky
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 10, 2023
“It was incredible walking out for the seventh, for the eighth, for the ninth,” Lorenzen said after the game, his second with the Phillies, per MLB.com. “It gave me a boost of energy. These fans … man, I’ve never been a part of an organization where the fans are a part of the team. … They play a role on this field for us, and they gave me that boost that I needed [in the] seventh, eighth and ninth.”
Lorenzen, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers, threw 124 pitches, the most by any pitcher this season, in what was his first career complete game. It was also the most by a Phillies pitcher since Cole Hamels threw 129 in his July 2015 no-hitter at the Cubs.
The families of Wilson and Lorenzen had heartfelt reactions to the memorable night.
What a moment for Wes Wilson’s father after his son homered in his first Major League at-bat. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/nBSoGV3LKU
— MLB (@MLB) August 9, 2023
Michael Lorenzen throws the 14th no-hitter in Phillies history. His family’s reaction is everything. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9NARDYMwK0
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2023