Guardians Rookie Parker Messick Loses No-Hitter in the 9th Inning

Published: Friday, April 17, 2026 at 12:47 am

Guardians Rookie's No-Hitter Bid Falls Short in Ninth

Cleveland Guardians rookie pitcher Parker Messick saw his bid for a no-hitter come to an end in the top of the ninth inning. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras broke up the no-hit bid with a single to right field on the first batter of the inning.

Messick had dominated through eight innings, allowing only two walks and matching his career high with nine strikeouts. He was then pulled from the game after allowing another hit. Relief pitcher Cade Smith then allowed RBIs to Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso, resulting in two earned runs charged to Messick.

The near-no-hitter would have been a significant achievement, marking the first in the major leagues since September 4, 2024, when the Chicago Cubs achieved the feat. It would have also been the first no-hitter for the Cleveland organization since Len Barker's perfect game in 1981. Cleveland currently holds the longest gap between no-hitters in the majors.

Messick faced one batter more than the minimum. He walked the leadoff hitter in the first inning before retiring the next 15 batters. He then walked Taveras in the sixth inning, but a double play ended the inning.

This was only Messick's 11th career start. He was drafted in 2022 and made his major league debut last year. Coming into the game, Messick had a 5-1 career record and a 2.04 ERA. He was 2-0 with a 0.51 ERA in his first three starts this season. The Guardians offense provided support with runs from Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and George Valera.

BNN's Perspective: While it's disappointing for fans to see a no-hitter bid fall short, Messick's performance is still a positive sign for the Guardians. He demonstrated impressive control and poise, and this outing suggests a promising future for the young pitcher.

Keywords: Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians, no-hitter, Baltimore Orioles, Leody Taveras, baseball, MLB, pitching, strikeouts, rookie, Guardians, career, ERA

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