Messick's near no-no hints at what's to come

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians’ drought without a no-hitter may not have ended on Thursday. But if there’s anything we should remember about the night, it’s that Parker Messick may be the guy who puts it to rest one day.

Messick took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning of the Guardians’ 4-2 win over the Orioles at Progressive Field. The 25-year-old was three outs away from becoming the first Cleveland pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Len Barker tossed a perfect game 45 years ago, on May 15, 1981.

Messick held the Orioles to just two walks through eight innings, to Taylor Ward (first inning) and Leody Taveras (sixth). The latter ended Messick's no-hit bid in the ninth, when he hit a groundball single just past the outstretched glove of second baseman Juan Brito, who was diving to his left.

It was nonetheless a stellar effort from Messick, who tied a career high with nine strikeouts and threw a career-high 112 pitches (78 strikes). It marked a continuation of what we have seen to start this season, during which the lefty has been nothing short of dominant.

Through four starts, Messick has a 1.05 ERA in 25 2/3 innings, with 25 strikeouts compared to just seven walks.

Messick got some early help from his offense when José Ramírez hit a two-run home run in the first inning. His defense also lent a helping hand on multiple occasions. Steven Kwan made a nice catch to end the third inning, crashing into the wall in center to snag a long drive by Ward. Ramírez snagged a pop-up along the netting down the left-field line to end the eighth inning.