The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Washington Nationals 7-0 on Wednesday night. The game was loaded with interesting events— most notably was Michael Lorenzen's no-hitter. Nick Castellanos also hit his 200th career home run in his two-homer performance. However, Phillies' newcomer Weston Wilson also accomplished a rare feat when he hit a 409 ft. home run to left center field in his first ever Major League plate appearance in the second inning of last night's victory.
WES WILSON UNBELIEVABLE! #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/ZIY5IVhyAk
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 9, 2023
Just 136 other players have homered in their first career at bat prior to Wilson doing so on Wednesday night. In comparison, there have been 322 no-hitters in Major League history. Both accomplishments made the Phillies' victory special as it was the first time in history that a team has had a player hit a home run in their first ever plate appearance and a pitcher throw a no-hitter in the same game.
Wilson was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round of the 2016 draft. He had played a total of 706 games in the minor leagues prior to having his contract be selected by the Phillies earlier this week. He is a super-utility player that has fielded positions all over the diamond. This season at Lehigh Valley the 28-year-old rookie has played games at first base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field. His versatility and performance in Triple-A this season made him a prime candidate for the Phillies to add to their roster.
Wednesday night was special for Wilson as his family was able to be in attendance for his first big league start. The Wilson family was greeted by perhaps the biggest hype man for this Phillies club Liam Castellanos who undoubtedly understood the gravity of Wednesday night's events.
Wilson will remember his first Major League game for the rest of his life. Postgame he commented on what the game meant to him:
"Just being here for it made my night. Everything that happened. The no-hitter was something truly incredible to be a part of. Casty’s [Nick Castellanos] 200th homer. And then obviously everything that happened. That’s a testament to everybody in this locker room preaching to me to be myself."via Todd Zolecki/ MLB.com
The players, coaches, and fans who were at Citizen's Bank Park on Wednesday night witnessed a game full of baseball history. Not many people thought that a game in the beginning of August would hold such a place in the lore of America's past time, but it ended up being one of the most exciting baseball games of the season. It was certainly a game that Lorenzen, Wilson, and their families will hold on to for a long time.