The Cleveland Guardians returned home after a rough road trip that saw them lose four of six games against the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals. For the first time in 2026, they dropped consecutive games heading into the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
Nothing better than having the incredible Parker Messick on the mound to put a halt to a losing streak, though. The rookie lefty, who had already impressed last year with a 2.72 ERA in just under 40 innings, did it again on Thursday, falling just three outs short of a no-hitter and tossing eight excellent frames to lead the Guardians to a 4-2 victory, conceding just two late runs charged to him after he departed.
Things got hairy in the bottom of the ninth, though, with Messick leaving two runners that went around to score against closer Cade Smith, jeopardizing the Guardians’ win. The reliever was able to stop the bleeding just in time, though.
Exhale.#GuardsBall | #GuardiWins pic.twitter.com/nMUJ2IjXYr
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 17, 2026
Messick, now sporting a 1.05 ERA, is blossoming right before our eyes. It’s too early to call him an ace, but everybody in the Guardians’ organization should be proud of the kid and the work everyone put in to develop him.
He was pumping 96 mph fastballs by Orioles’ hitters late in the game, even after surpassing the 100-pitch mark. That’s some special stuff right there.
He gave up his first hit of the night to the first batter in the bottom of the ninth, Leody Taveras. Manager Stephen Vogt tried to get a complete game from him, but he then surrendered another single to Blaze Alexander and was removed. He got a nice standing ovation:
Standing ovation for Parker Messick 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/7zSON8LC7G
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) April 17, 2026
The left-hander gave the Guardians’ bullpen a much-needed rest, with no off days in sight until next Thursday.
Messick, of course, didn’t do it alone. Franchise legend Jose Ramirez opened the scoring in the first inning with a two-run home run off Orioles starter Shane Baz, and his wRC+ for the year is already at 118. His early-season struggles are officially a thing of the past.
Brayan Rocchio doubled with two outs in the fifth, a common theme with the 2026 Guardians, who refuse to let an inning die easily. Steven Kwan then proceeded to drive him in with a single to right field for Cleveland’s third run of the night.
George Valera, who came off the injured list firing on all cylinders, plated Ramirez with a single in the bottom of the sixth. That was Cleveland’s fourth and final run.
Smith finished the job with a tumultuous ninth, getting his fourth save of the year.
The Guardians and Orioles will do it again on Friday, starting at 6:10 pm ET.
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