On Thursday, Cleveland Guardians rookie pitcher Parker Messick was this close to putting his name into the history books.
In just his 11th major-league start, Messick put up a stellar performance, throwing eight hitless innings in the Guardians’ 4-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Advertisement
The 25-year-old starting pitcher entered the ninth inning with nine strikeouts and two walks across 106 pitches, having already put away 23 batters with the help of the Cleveland defense.
But in the top of the ninth, Messick’s no-hit bid was broken up a Leody Taveras single that snuck just past Guardians second baseman Juan Brito.
Right afterwards, Blaze Alexander hit another single, and Messick’s night was over. The rookie was replaced by reliever Cade Smith.
Both Taveras and Alexander went on to score, bringing the game to 4-2 and giving Messick two earned runs in his final stat line.
Messick ended the night with 112 pitches — approaching the rookie’s career high of 121 from his time at Florida State, where he played before being drafted by the Guardians in 2022.
Advertisement
If Messick had been able to finish the job, it would have been the 327th no-hitter in MLB history. It also would have been Cleveland’s first no-hitter since 1981.
The league went through the entire 2025 season without a no-hitter, breaking a 20-year streak. The last no-no was all the way back on Sept. 4, 2024 — 589 days ago — with Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga leading a combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It looks like MLB will have to wait a bit longer before that drought is finally broken.
Read the full article here