Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft out of Northwestern University, Loretta debuted with the Brewers in 1995. On June 20, 2001, during an 11–3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Loretta took the mound to pitch a scoreless eighth inning. Brewers manager Davey Lopes asked the team for a volunteer to pitch an inning in hopes of saving the depleted bullpen, and Loretta volunteered. He had not previously pitched since college. Loretta faced five batters, gave up one hit and one walk and got two strikeouts on 19 pitches. He was the first everyday player to pitch for the Brewers since 1991 [1].