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CLEVELAND. – Left-hander Parker Messick flirted with a no-hitter on Thursday, guiding the Cleveland Guardians to a 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field.
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Messick kept the opposing offense scoreless until the ninth inning, coming within just three outs of completing the no-hitter. The threat ended when the Dominican Leody Taveras hit a single that snuck through the infield, breaking the pitching gem. Despite not completing the historic performance, the 25-year-old pitcher signed a dominant eight-inning outing, in which he allowed only two walks, struck out nine batters and threw 112 pitches, 78 of them in the strike zone, equaling his personal best in strikeouts. The offensive support came early thanks to José Ramírez, who hit a two-run home run in the first inning to lead Cleveland. The defense also responded at key moments, with outstanding plays by Steven Kwan and Ramírez himself to preserve the lead. With this performance, Messick continues an impressive start to the season, accumulating an ERA of 1.05 in his first four starts, with 25 strikeouts in 25.2 innings, solidifying himself as one of the most solid pieces of Cleveland's pitching staff. Although the no-hitter slipped away at the last gasp, the outing reaffirms the young lefty's potential to write his name in franchise history in the near future.
