CLEVELAND -- One of the final questions posed to Parker Messick in his postgame media session on Thursday night was whether he was aware of how long it’s been since a Cleveland pitcher has thrown a no-hitter.
Messick could not say for certain, after he came excruciatingly close to ending Cleveland’s drought that has spanned nearly half a century.
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.
Told that context, Messick chuckled and offered a moment of levity.
“I did my best, guys,” Messick quipped. “Maybe next time.”
No kidding. Messick’s phenomenal effort nearly etched his name into the record books. He allowed just two hits and two walks over eight-plus innings, tying a career high with nine strikeouts on a career-high 112 pitches (78 strikes).
Messick held the Orioles to just two walks through eight innings, to Taylor Ward (first inning) and Leody Taveras (sixth). The latter ended the lefty’s no-hit bid in the ninth, when he hit a ground-ball single just past the outstretched glove of second baseman Juan Brito, who was diving to his left.
“That was very special, what we got to watch tonight,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “That's an unbelievably talented lineup that he took a no-hitter into the ninth against and just continued to attack, continued to give them different looks throughout the whole game.”
Since Barker’s perfect game nearly 45 years ago, Cleveland has had four pitchers carry a no-hit bid into the ninth inning. Along with Messick, Gavin Williams went 8 1/3 innings on Aug. 6 this past season against the Mets. Carlos Carrasco went 8 2/3 innings against the Rays on July 1, 2015. And John Farrell went eight innings on May 4, 1989, vs. the Royals.
Given how close he came Thursday, Messick could eventually be the guy who gives Barker some company.
“He's got such good stuff, executes every pitch,” catcher Austin Hedges said of Messick. “He’s got [six] pitches to work with and is throwing every one of them to righties and lefties. Hitting is hard already, but when you’ve got to cover that many pitches, that many speeds, that many shapes, executed, you're going to get nights like tonight.”
Messick featured his four-seamer (43 times), changeup (29), slider (15), curveball (13), cutter (10) and sinker (two) on Thursday. His changeup, which has long been his bread and butter, was a particularly devastating offering. Nine of Baltimore’s 18 whiffs against him were on that pitch.
Messick did not pinpoint an exact moment when he realized his outing could be a special, though the atmosphere at Progressive Field grew increasingly lively with anticipation over the final few innings. Messick said he had to cover his ear with his glove to hear the PitchCom device in his cap over the noise.
“At that moment, I was really trying to lock in every pitch,” he said. “Not that I wasn't the entire game, but that's kind of when it sunk in a little bit.”
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 open the eighth.
Taveras’ ground-ball single was just out of the reach of Brito’s glove. As deflating as that moment could be, Messick said his first thought was trying to induce a double play. His night ended after Baltimore’s Blaze Alexander lined a single to center field.
As Cleveland went to the bullpen, Messick walked off the mound in the ninth to a standing ovation. He and Hedges met the media side by side postgame. As Hedges sat down at the podium, he jokingly said, “I don’t know why I’m doing this. It’s your day, kid.”
Hedges’ impact cannot be overstated. Messick noted, “I've done my best to sing his praises after every one of my starts, because game plans, the way he watches the game, all I have to do is go out there and execute, and that's it."
Messick, of course, has also been stellar. He’s faced the Dodgers, Cubs, Braves and Orioles, all of whom are expected to be playoff contenders. In 25 2/3 innings over four starts, he has a 1.05 ERA with 25 strikeouts and just seven walks.
“He just keeps working,” Vogt said. “Parker's tenacious. He’s dedicated to his craft.”