The Cincinnati Reds’ Michael Lorenzen joined some very elite company on Wednesday night.
On the mound, Lorenzen got the win in Cincinnati’s 8-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, after pitching in the seventh and eighth innings. But the versatile talent also played center field in the ninth inning, and he cranked his seventh career dinger at the plate.
Michael Lorenzen is the definition of #PitchersWhoRake!#BornToBaseball pic.twitter.com/nz4xGw9bQ2
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 5, 2019
So Lorenzen recorded the win, played a position other than pitcher, and hit a home run, all in the same game. The last player to do that? Babe Ruth in 1921.
Michael Lorenzen of the @Reds is the first player to earn the win, hit a home run and play in the field in the same game since the Yankees' Babe Ruth on 6/13/1921.#BornToBaseball
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 5, 2019
Played CF, Homered, and got the win as pitcher
6/13/1921 Babe Ruth
9/4/2019 Michael LorenzenThat's it
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt) September 5, 2019
Lorenzen entered the game with a career .775 OPS in 110 plate appearances, and many evaluators have suggested the Reds use him as a position player more often. He certainly showed why on Wednesday night.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.