Parker Messick's No-Hitter Dream Dies in the 9th, but the Guardians Escape With the Win

One strike away. That's how close Parker Messick came to joining one of the most exclusive clubs in baseball. The 25-year-old Cleveland Guardians left-hander carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning Thursday night against Baltimore, but Leody Taveras spoiled the bid with a grounder that snuck past diving second baseman Juan Brito and into right field for a single. The Guardians held on to win 4-2 and open their seven-game homestand in front of 14,748 fans at home.

Messick's Masterpiece, Almost

Making just his 11th major league start, Messick was absolutely dealing. He faced one batter more than the minimum through eight innings, walking two and striking out nine times to match a career best. The rookie left-hander threw 112 pitches, 78 for strikes, and was charged with two runs over eight-plus innings, his longest outing yet in the majors. If he'd finished the job, Messick would have been the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Sept. 4, 2024, when Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers combined to beat Pittsburgh 12-0 at Wrigley Field. Instead, Taveras' single in the ninth ended the dream.

Blaze Alexander followed with a line-drive single to center, and Messick was pulled to a standing ovation from the crowd. That's when things fell apart fast. Taylor Ward singled off closer Cade Smith to load the bases. Gunnar Henderson then drove in Taveras with a sacrifice fly. Pete Alonso added an RBI double that put runners on second and third with one out before Smith retired pinch hitter Colton Cowser on a fly and Samuel Basallo on a grounder for his fourth save.

The Tough Truth and What's Next

"I mean, it sucks, but it's baseball," Messick said afterward. "It might happen for me one day, if the Lord wills. I'll have plenty more years to pitch some baseball games, so, you know, it might happen again, so my only thought is just lock back in and get the next guy out."

Messick improved to 3-0 on the season. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was full of praise for what his pitcher nearly accomplished against an elite lineup. "That was very special what we got to watch tonight," Vogt said. "That's an unbelievably talented lineup that he took a no-hitter into the ninth against. Just continued to attack, continued to give them different looks throughout the whole game."

Jose Ramirez also stayed hot for Cleveland, hitting his third home run in four games. The Guardians will look to keep rolling as the homestand continues, while Messick's bid for history will have to wait for another day.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.