The Cleveland Guardians did not get the result they wanted in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, but their rookie starter gave them every chance to win. Parker Messick made his postseason debut on Saturday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd at Progressive Field, and for much of the day he looked like the pitcher who dominated the American League all season long. One swing from Munetaka Murakami was the difference in a 3-0 loss to the White Sox, as Cleveland’s offense never found a way to back him up. After the game, Stephen Vogt was asked about his young left-hander, and he did not hesitate to put the blame elsewhere. The Cleveland manager made it clear he thought Messick handled the moment about as well as anyone could have asked.
“They made him work. They kind of got his pitch count up. Outside of the one mistake, which wasn’t a bad pitch — that was a good hit by Murakami — I thought Parker threw the ball excellently. He did his job and kept us in the game,” Vogt.said “We just weren’t able to get anything going. But Parker was outstanding.”
Vogt explained that the White Sox made Messick work and drove up his pitch count, but outside of one swing, he thought the rookie threw the ball excellently. He also did not view the pitch Murakami hit as a mistake so much as a great piece of hitting. In Vogt’s eyes, the problem on Saturday was simple. The Guardians could not get anything going at the plate, while Messick was outstanding.
The one blemish came in the fourth inning. Miguel Vargas led off with a single, and Murakami jumped on a first pitch sinker that was up and in, sending it a projected 440 feet into the right field seats for a 2-0 lead. Messick said afterward that the pitch was on the inner part of the plate and that he believed Murakami was sitting on it. Austin Hedges agreed, saying Messick executed a good sinker and Murakami simply came out on top with an unbelievable swing.
That performance should give Cleveland some confidence moving forward. Messick finished the regular season with a 2.56 ERA, which ranks as the seventh lowest by a qualified rookie since 1969, and he showed on Saturday that his stuff plays on the biggest stage. If this series reaches a Game 4 in Chicago, he is lined up to take the ball again.
For that to happen, the Guardians need to even the series first. Gavin Williams starts Game 2 on Monday at 5 p.m. at Progressive Field, and the offense will have to give its pitcher more support than Messick received on Saturday.
NEXT: Former Guardians Player Sounds The Alarm After Game 1 Loss
