CLEVELAND What happened? Craig Albernaz’s return to Cleveland turned unpleasant as he watched the team he’s now managing, the Baltimore Orioles, fail to get a hit for eight innings.
In his 11th major league start, 25-year-old left-hander Parker Messick dazzled the Orioles through eight, taking a no-hitter into the ninth. Finally, Leody Taveras broke through with a leadoff single to right field.
Blaze Alexander followed with a single, and Cade Smith replaced Messick. Taylor Ward singled to load the bases. Taveras scored on Gunnar Henderson’s sacrifice fly. Alexander scored on Pete Alonso’s double to right. Colton Cowser flied to center and Samuel Basallo grounded sharply to second to end the game.
The Orioles’ 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians before 14,878 at Progressive Field on Thursday night was their third straight.
It was the first time Messick (3-0) pitched into the ninth inning.
“He had all his pitches dialed in the strike zone,” Albernaz said. “He did a great job of changing speeds in all counts.”
It marked the third time since 1961 that a team has broken up a no-hitter in the ninth inning in three consecutive seasons, according to MLB.com. Gunnar Henderson’s two-out triple in the ninth inning spoiled a combined no-hitter attempt against the Detroit Tigers on September 13th, 2024. Jackson Holliday’s home run spoiled the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s no-hit bid on September 6th, 2025, a game the Orioles eventually won, 4-3
The Orioles have not been no-hit since Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma did it on August 12th, 2015.
No Cleveland pitcher has thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker on May 10th, 1981.
There weren’t any no-hitters in 2025. The last one was a combined no-hitter by three Chicago Cubs pitchers against Pittsburgh on September 4th, 2024.
Messick walked Ward to begin the game and then retired 15 straight until Taveras walked to start the sixth. Ward hit into a double play to end the inning.
Cleveland centerfielder Steven Kwan made a leaping catch on Ward’s drive to the wall to end the third, and José Ramírez made a nice play behind third base on Coby Mayo’s sharp grounder to end the fifth.
Ramírez made another fine play on Basallo’s foul pop to start the eighth. Ramírez caught it backhanded as he leaned into the stands.
Oriole starter Shane Baz walked Chase DeLauter with one out in the first. Ramírez homered on the first pitch to give the Guardians a 2-0 lead.
Cleveland scored with two outs in the fifth on a double by Rocchio and a single by Kwan. George Valera’s RBI single in the sixth made it 4-0.
Baz allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, striking out six and walking three.
Cameron Foster, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Norfolk, made his major league debut, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out three.
How dominant was Messick? Alexander was the only Oriole who had faced Messick previously. The others were impressed.
“He was dealing the ball really good,” Taveras said. “His changeup was really good, honestly, and his fastball, too. He had good stuff.”
Said Ward: “I think just the way he gathers in his legs, he really kind of gets low. It’s a little funky. You don’t normally see that kind of body movement. I just think that he was just a little funky.”
How did Baz pitch? Baz didn’t think about how Messick was throwing.
“Especially after that first inning, I was more just focused on what I was going to do with the next few batters when I’m in the dugout,” Baz said. “It definitely puts pressure on the team a little bit, but I felt like it didn’t really affect me.”
After the first inning, Baz allowed just one hit until the fifth.
“The first inning, it was one bad pitch, really,” Baz said. “It was my fault just getting to that pitch in that spot. I’ve got to know better than that. I’ve pitched too much to not think that through a little more. Just made a bad pitch. I felt like I wasn’t throwing the ball bad, so it was kind of easy just to settle in and start attacking hitters. And, yeah, I was able to kind of keep us in the game.”
What does it mean? The Orioles could use more right-handed punch. Tyler O’Neill is on the 7-day concussion injury list, but he’s on the trip. Perhaps he’ll get activated soon.
What’s the word? “I believe if something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. Today wasn’t the day for a no-hitter.”-Taveras on the Orioles’ breaking up the no-hitter.
What’s the stat of the day? 4.91. That’s Baz’s ERA through four starts.
What’s going on in the minor leagues? José Barrero drove in four runs as Triple-A Norfolk beat Durham, 7-2. Christian Encarnacion-Strand also homered.
Franklin Bencosme drove in three runs as Double-A Chesapeake lost to New Hampshire, 12-6.
Vance Honeycutt had two hits as High-A Frederick lost to Hudson Valley, 5-2.
Single-A Delmarva lost to Fredericksburg, 8-2.
What’s next? Chris Bassitt (0-2, 9.00) will start against Tanner Bibee (0-2, 6.38) at 6:10 p.m. on Friday.
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