Reds' Michael Lorenzen 1st Player Since Babe Ruth to Homer, Get Win, Play Field

Cincinnati Reds super-utility man Michael Lorenzen made history with both his arm and his bat on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.

After he gave up a game-tying home run to Jay Bruce in the top of the seventh, Lorenzen—who pitched two innings—stayed in the game long enough to watch his team retake the lead, making him the pitcher of record. Then, he gave Cincinnati a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth with his first home run of the season:

He then remained in the game to play center field as closer Raisel Iglesias recorded the save.

According to Stats By Stats and Reds statistician Joel Luckhaupt, Lorenzen joins Babe Ruth (June 13, 1921) as the only players in MLB history to homer, play in the field and be the winning pitcher in the same game.

Lorenzen has now made 66 appearances on the mound, posting a 3.04 ERA in the process, and 18 appearances in the outfield this season. He also owns a .353 average and a 1.009 OPS with one home run, four RBI and three stolen bases in 19 plate appearances in 2019.

The former Cal State Fullerton center fielder now has seven career home runs. That puts him second only to San Francisco Giants star Madison Bumgarner (12) among pitchers since he entered the league in 2015, according to MLB Stats.