Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

Ramon Cabrera wanted to be sure to be the last to greet Michael Lorenzen in the dugout. Lorenzen had just clubbed his first career homer in his first game back after the unexpected death of his father, Clif. Cabrera knew the Cincinnati Reds right-hander would need an outlet to flush his emotions.

The two have been close since last year, spending much of the 2015 season in Triple-A together. They were called up to the majors within a day of each other later that year. So after Lorenzen crossed home and pointed both hands at the sky, after he pointed to his fiancée in the stands and after a long receiving line of helmet-taps and back pats from his teammates, there was the backup catcher.

Lorenzen enveloped him in a hug so forceful it knocked Cabrera back a few steps. Then the right-hander let go of everything he’d tried to bottle up.

“That kind of moment, you have to” – Cabrera paused to exhale purposefully – “let it out.”

Adleman, Reds cruise past Dodgers, 9-2

Those emotions tried to force their way out of Lorenzen earlier in the night. It had been just two days since his father’s death, and the 24-year-old right-hander had just returned to the team earlier in the day.

He entered the game in the top of the seventh with two on and one out, warming up to “Who Are You?” by The Who, which was his dad’s favorite band. He recorded two quick outs and calmly walked to the dugout. He felt on the verge of a breakdown, so he headed to the bathroom located in the tunnel back to the clubhouse.

“There were some teammates back there who were able to help me out,” Lorenzen said. “I was able to go out and hit. Just by the strength of the Lord and understanding his plan and purpose is perfect. I just have to trust it, especially in a time like this.”

Lorenzen is one of several back-end relievers the Reds have used in multiple-inning stints, and is also one of the more capable pitchers with a bat in his hands after playing center field in college. After he collected himself, he prepared himself to hit.

Lorenzen’s turn came up with two runners on and two outs. Despite his college background, he stepped into the box against Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Pedro Baez owning just 44 career plate appearances in the majors, including just three this season. Baez carried a high-90s fastball and a 3.02 ERA.

Lorenzen clubbed the first pitch he saw – a 97 mph fastball – into the right-field seats 398 feet away. It gave the Reds a 9-1 lead.

“If you’re around baseball and you’ve been here long enough, you’ll see all sorts of things that you think you’ll never see again or you never thought you would see,” manager Bryan Price said. “This falls under that heading. I never thought I would see something like that, as majestic and poetic and emotional as that moment.”

The pitcher crossed home plate to cheers that only grew steadily louder as he returned to the dugout. They persisted as he wrapped Cabrera in a bear hug and continued as he made his way back across the dugout.

The home fans wanted a curtain call. Lorenzen steeled himself to face them, ascending the dugout steps to deliver a grateful wave as outfielder Billy Hamilton egged him on in congratulations.

And then before he could really soak in the moment, he had to return to the mound. The batter immediately after him struck out to end the inning, and Lorenzen headed back out to the field to pitch another scoreless frame.

His 1 2/3 unblemished innings gave him a 2.17 ERA for the season.

“For him to be a pitcher and hit a home run and pitch the way he did? That’s one of the memories you never forget,” said Brandon Phillips, who was one of the players to meet Lorenzen at home plate after the home run. “His father was with him the whole time he was out there. He felt it. I felt it with him.”

Lorenzen knew it was an important moment, not only to help him move forward but also to help his family. But he was overwhelmed by the support he received from the fans and his teammates.

“It’s humbled me, this whole situation,” he said. “Everything that happened tonight, I don’t think I’ll ever feel that way again.”