NBC Sports Philadelphia’s coverage of Phillies no-hitter was just about perfect

“I can’t believe that happened!”

Michael Lorenzen’s wife, Cassi, summed it up best Wednesday after the new Phillies pitcher threw a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals in his first start at Citizens Bank Park and just his second start with the team.

During moments like this, the goal for any television broadcast is to match the thrill and excitement being offered on the field. It was a great night for NBC Sports Philadelphia, led by play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy, who offered a terrific call during the final out of Lorenzen’s no-hitter.

The game was so packed with excitement, analyst John Kruk only got to the bottom of the second inning on his scorecard before abandoning it altogether. With all the action, including some early walks by Lorenzen, the game was more than halfway over before McCarthy realized the new Phillies pitcher had a potential no-hitter going.

“There was so much going on in this game,” McCarthy said following the game, “It wasn’t until the end of the fifth inning that it dawned on me that he had only walked guys and hadn’t allowed a hit.”

Following the game, McCarthy said he wasn’t afraid of jinxing Lorenzen — “I’ve always been of the thought that you have to say it.” But the Phillies’ TV voice since 2009 admitted he had some jitters as the night went on.

“The adrenaline shake is always part of it. I’ve always had that in all the [no-hitters] that I’ve called, even dating back to the minor leagues,” McCarthy said. “There was tentativeness on whether [Lorenzen] was going to finish it, because you just don’t finish no-hitters as often.”

McCarthy and his colleagues did a great job all evening capturing the excitement of Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park. That was especially true after the final out in the eighth inning, when instead of going to a commercial break, the cameras lingered on Lorenzen as he walked out onto the field for the ninth inning to roars from the crowd.

The action started in the first inning, when Nick Castellanos blasted his 18th home run of the season, giving the Phillies an early 3-0 lead. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s cameras captured some great moments during Castellanos’ trot around the bases, including Brandon Marsh’s jubilant reaction and a celebration by Castellanos’ son, Liam, who celebrated his 10th birthday last week.

“Liam loves it,” McCarthy noted after the homer. That would become a trend of the evening, as Liam celebrated with just about everyone in the stands as the night went on.

In the third inning, Weston Wilson — a 28-year-old rookie who has spent seven seasons in the minor leagues — knocked out a home run during his first at-bat in his major league league debut. It’s been more than two decades since a Phillies player blasted one out of the park during their first time at the plate in the majors — the last was Marlon Anderson in 1998 — and McCarthy captured all the energy and excitement of the moment.

“How about this story?!” McCarthy exclaimed as NBC Sports Philadelphia’s cameras focused on Wilson’s family in the stands, including the tears of his father, Bill. “Wes Wilson just picked up right where he left off in the minor leagues... He has just lifted his family high in the air.”

The homer wasn’t Weston’s only contribution of the night. He had a nice catch in foul territory in the first inning and notched his first stolen base during the fourth inning, eventually scoring.

“Check off another box,” McCarthy noted.

“It is very special and what we continue to talk about is it’s all about the journey, not the destination,” Bill told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Taryn Hatcher during the game. “He’s just an incredible young man.”

Following Weston’s home run, Castellanos ripped his second roundtripper of the night and the 200th of his career. Of course, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s cameras caught Liam going nuts.

“It’s a celebration for Liam and everybody else,” McCarthy said during the broadcast.

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McCarthy and Kruk weren’t the only announcers to have a great night in the booth. Their colleagues on 94.1 WIP — Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson — also did a great job capturing the final out of Lorenzen’s no-hitter.

Franzke also had a prescient call in the third inning after he noticed Wilson swung hard during his first major league at-bat but came up empty.

“You only get one chance to hit a homer on your first swing in the big leagues,” Franzke said before Wilson hit a home run on his second swing in the big leagues.

In addition to everything happening on the field, McCarthy and Kruk had a notable guest in the booth — former MVP and Colbie’s Southern Kissed Chicken co-owner Ryan Howard, who happened to catch a great game while promoting their new chicken and waffle sandwich at the ballpark.

Howard spent the third inning in the booth, offering thoughts on Castellanos’ second home run of the night and 19th of the season.

“That’s a beautiful swing he’s got working right now. Beautiful,” Howard said.

The Big Piece lives in Atlanta, but he told The Inquirer last month during the All-Star Game he’s been keeping tabs on the Phillies, and Castellanos is one of his favorite batters.

“I’ve always loved his swing. I’ve always thought he has that beautiful inside out swing and he’s been getting back into form,” Howard said. “The fun thing is that there’s a different guy every night that steps up. And that’s what’s important. Having a different guy step up in the big moments.”

The Phillies will be back at Citizens Bank Park Thursday to finish up their four-game series against the Nationals. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m., and will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with McCarthy and Kruk once again on the call.

Taking the mound for the Phillies will be Aaron Nola, who enters the game with a 4.58 ERA and looking for his 10th win. He’ll take on Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Next up for the Phillies will be a three-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins, followed by an off day before traveling Toronto to take on the Blue Jays in a two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday.