Cleveland Guardians phenom pitcher Parker Messick almost made major history on Thursday night against the Orioles.
Cleveland's rookie pitcher Parker Messick almost made history on Thursday night by dealing the first no-hitter in Cleveland baseball history in nearly 45 years.
Many thought that Messick's rookie season couldn't get any better. He came into Thursday's game against the Baltimore Orioles with a 2-0 record and a 0.51 ERA in three starts.
Those gaudy stats weren't an accident. In his first three starts, he faced the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Atlanta Braves. Each one of those teams has visions of being a contender in the National League come September and October.
Thursday night didn't get off to the best start as Messick walked the first batter of the game. After that, he locked in.
He retired the next 14 batters before another walk in the top of the sixth that never posed a threat. He worked out of that inning thanks to a 6-4-3 double play.
After that walk, he retired eight straight Orioles to set up a ninth inning to accomplish a historic achievement that hasn't been done in Cleveland in 45 years. Baltimore wasted no time, as on the very first pitch of the inning, center fielder Leody Taveras took his first pitch into right field for a base hit to end the no-hit bid.
Messick received a standing ovation from the crowd and a mound visit from pitching coach Carl Willis to calm him down. It didn't work as the very next batter, shortstop Blaze Alexander, laced a line drive into center field, and the Guardians found themselves in a game.
The ninth inning started with the Guardians holding a 4-0 lead thanks to a Jose Ramirez two-run home run in the first inning. That was followed up with a fifth-inning RBI single and a George Valera RBI single in the sixth.
What felt like a comfortable victory heading into the ninth was anything but that in the ninth.
After Messick left the game, closer Cade Smith took the mound, and it was nervous moments on the corner.
Taylor Ward singled to left field, which was a frozen rope, so no one scored, but it welcomed Gunnar Henderson to the plate with the bases loaded. Henderson put a charge into one and flew out to the warning track, just feet away from a game-tying grand slam.
It didn't end there. With runners on the corners, Pete Alanso stepped to the plate and again wasted no time. He hit a rocket down the right field line, and he, too, missed a game-tying home run off the top of the wall that knocked in another run.
Smith dug deep and got the next two batters to strand runners in scoring position. The final out of the game was a web gem from Juan Brito to get the Guardians out of the jam and add another mark in the win column.
Messick moves to 3-0 on the season with an ERA of 1.05. Baltimore's Shane Boz takes the loss after surrendering four earned runs on six hits over 6.0 innings pitched.
Cleveland and Baltimore take the field on Friday night with a 6:10 first pitch.
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