CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Guardians rookie Parker Messick has a no-hitter through seven innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
The 25-year-old has thrown 90 pitches, 63 strikes for strikes, and struck out eight with two walks Thursday night. The Guardians lead 4-0.
Messick has faced one batter more than the minimum. He walked leadoff hitter Taylor Ward before retiring the next 15 batters. Ward hit a deep flyball to center field in the third inning that Steven Kwan caught at the wall, and José Ramírez made a nice stop on a grounder by Coby Mayo deep in the hole at third to end the fifth.
Messick walked Leody Taveras leading off the sixth, but Ward grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The left-hander is attempting to throw the first no-hitter in the majors since Sept. 4, 2024, when Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers combined to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-0.
Messick is making his 11th career start. He was the 54th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Florida State and made his big league debut last year.
Messick came into the game with a 5-1 career mark and a 2.04 ERA. He was 2-0 with a 0.51 ERA in his first three starts this season.
The Guardians have backed up Messick with Ramírez’s two-run homer in the first and RBI singles by Kwan in the fifth and George Valera in the sixth.
Cleveland has the majors’ longest current gap between no-hitters. The team’s last one was Len Barker’s perfect game on May 15, 1981, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Carlos Carrasco went 8 2/3 innings against Tampa Bay on July 1, 2015, and Gavin Williams had a no-hitter for 8 1/3 innings last season on Aug. 6 against the New York Mets. Juan Soto broke up Williams’ no-hit bid with a home run to center.
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