Parker Messick Has A Warning For Anyone Doubting The Guardians

Parker Messick did not have his best stuff on Sunday, but he still has plenty of belief in his team. The rookie left hander lasted just two innings in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 at Progressive Field to take a 3-2 lead in the best of seven series. The loss means Cleveland must win back to back games at Tropicana Field to reach the World Series, with Game 6 on Monday and a potential Game 7 on Tuesday. Many outside the organization are already writing the Guardians off. Speaking in the clubhouse after the game, Messick had a clear message for anyone who thinks this series is over.

“You don’t count out the Guards. I think we showed that in the in the ALDS, and I think we’re all confident going in. We’re going to have a have a good flight here and go and try and win 2 games in a row,” Messick said.

"You don't count out the Guards. I think we showed that in the in the ALDS, and I think we're all confident going in. We're going to have a have a good flight here and go and try and win 2 games in a row."

Inside the #Guardians Clubhouse with Parker Messick after Cleveland's… pic.twitter.com/oEv4dMgV6X

— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) October 19, 2026

Messick pointed to the division series as proof, saying the Guardians already showed what they are capable of against the White Sox. He added that everyone in the clubhouse is confident heading to Tampa Bay, and that the team plans to have a good flight and then go try to win two games in a row.

He has good reason to feel that way. Cleveland lost the first two games of the division series at home and responded by winning three straight elimination games, becoming the first team in franchise history to come back from a 2-0 deficit in a postseason series. Messick was part of that comeback, too. He struggled in Game 4 against Chicago, and José Ramírez told him he would turn things around for him before hitting a go ahead home run that helped the Guardians stay alive.

Sunday was a tough day for the rookie. Despite the result, Messick has been terrific against Tampa Bay all season. In four starts against the Rays, including the postseason, he owns a 1.33 ERA, yet the Guardians lost all four of those games. He also put together one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history, making the All Star team and finishing with a 2.56 ERA and 193 strikeouts.

His teammates picked him up after he exited. Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for six scoreless innings to keep the Guardians within striking distance. The offense just could not break through against Drew Rasmussen, scoring its only run in the sixth inning.

Messick’s confidence matches the message coming from the rest of the clubhouse. Stephen Vogt opened his postgame press conference with two words, let’s go, and said there is no team he would rather bet on in this situation than his own.

Messick believes the Guardians have two more wins in them, and Cleveland will get the chance to prove it tonight.