baseball

Guardians rookie Parker Messick's no-hit bid broken up by Orioles in the 9th inning

By Kari AndersonYahoo Sports

Messick nearly got the first no-hitter of 2026 after throwing 8 hitless innings.

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. 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. Leody Taveras breaks up the no-hit bid in the 9th Parker Messick receives a standing ovation from the Cleveland crowd 👏 pic. twitter.

com/zPqe5eE7yd — MLB (@MLB) April 17, 2026 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. 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.