Guardians’ rookie Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the 9th inning, but couldn’t complete the first Cleveland no-hitter in 25 years, settling for a 4-2 victory over the Orioles, Thursday.
Messick game into the bottom of the 9th with only two walks allowed and nine strikeouts on 106 pitches. He tried to sneak a cutter past Leody Taveras, only for the Orioles’ CF to slash to the ball back up the middle toward right-center, just out of the reach of 2B Juan Brito, for the Orioles first hit of the night.
The relief of no longer having a 0 in the hit column helped spark a mini rally for Baltimore in the top of the 9th. Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt left Messick in to face Blaze Alexander, who rewarded that decision by lining a single to center field. That forced Vogt to turn to closer Cade Smith, who allowed the O’s to further claw back in the game. Taylor Ward worked a full count against Smith, and then loaded the bases when he line a 3-2 fastball into center.
Gunnar Henderson then came to the plate representing the tying run for Baltimore. The star SS just missed hitting a game-tying grand slam as well, getting just out in front of a Smith splitter and sending a 355-foot sac fly to deep right-center. Pete Alonso then took his own chance at being the Orioles’ hero, attacking a first-pitch fastball and sending it ricocheting off the top of the wall in right field for an RBI double. Had Alonso’s sinking line drive been five feet higher and five feet to the left, it would’ve been a three-run homer that tied the game. Instead, he had to settle for putting the tying run at second with one out.
As minds in Birdland began to turn to the Orioles magical no-hitter to walk-off winner Houdini act last September against the Dodgers, Colton Cowser stepped in as a pinch hitter. After fouling off some tough pitches from Smith, Cowser just got under a ball, sending a hard-hit shallow fly to left-center for the second out. That left the fate of the comeback to rookie Samuel Basallo, who sent a 108mph grounder screaming up the middle, only for Brito to grab it and toss the ball over to first for the final out.
The fact that the O’s made Thursday’s loss look respectable came as a surprise after Messick left them utterly befuddled for eight innings. The stocky, 25-year-old lefty had Orioles swinging through fastballs, flailing and changeups and pounding easy groundouts to shortstop all night. The only really loud outs of the game on a Ward flyout in the 3rd that died right up against the centerfield fence, and a nifty snag in foul territory by José Ramírez in the 8th. The complete lack of good swings from the Orioles against Messick made it look like they could go 100 ABs against the southpaw and never sniff a hit.
To say Orioles starter Shane Baz had a bad outing in Cleveland would probably be a little harsh, but he certainly paled in comparison to his counterpart, Messick. Coming off a lackluster outing against the Giants, Baz didn’t start the game with his best stuff against the Guardians. After punching out Steven Kwan to start the game, he walked Chase DeLauter on five pitches and then made a big mistake to perennial All-Star Ramírez. Baz threw a first-pitch fastball down the heart of the plate, and the Guardians’ all-time leader in games played smashed it to deep left-center for a two-run blast.
The 26-year-old right-hander quickly but that blunder behind him, though. He got out of the first thanks to a diving stop by Jeremiah Jackson at second and a lineout to Pete Alonso. The Polar Bear then made a great snag on a grounder to start the 2nd, before Baz punched out Austin Hedges on a foul-tipped cutter and ended the inning with a pop out to short.
The Orioles’ right-hander breezed through the 3rd inning thanks to a pair of grounders and a pop-up to the catcher. He’d open the 4th by striking out Kyle Manzardo looking, before giving up a single to George Valera, ending a streak of seven consecutive Guardians retired. The O’s defense would pick up their starter to end the 4th, as Coby Mayo stabbed a hard-hit grounder at third and started a 5-4-3 double play.
Baz picked up his fourth punchout of the night to begin the 5th, snapping off a knuckle curve below the zone to get Juan Brito. After getting Hedges to ground out on another good knuckle curve, the hard-throwing Texan ran into some bad luck to end the 5th.
Shortstop Brayan Rocchio grounded a ball to the right side that just barely eluded the pocket of Jackson’s glove, skipped off the glove into right field and allowed Rocchio to skamper to second for a double. After a double with an xBA of .120 kept the inning alive, Kwan lined a single to RF Johnathan Rodríguez. The Orioles’ outfielder fired a frozen rope to home plate, beating Rocchio, but the Cleveland infielder just barely slid under the tag of Samuel Basallo to score the Guardians’ third run.
Cleveland would add their fourth run against Baz in the 6th, thanks to another rally started by Ramírez. The Guardians’ best player led off the inning by working a 10-pitch walk. He then moved to third on a line drive by Manzardo to right, before scoring on a single to left off Valera’s bat. The Oriole’s starter would limit the damage, finishing the inning with two more Ks and a groundout to short. That closed Baz’s line at 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB and 6 K.
The Orioles will look to end their second three-game losing streak of the season tomorrow when Chris Bassitt takes the bump in Cleveland. First pitch is set for 6:10pm ET.
