Orioles Rally Falls Short as Rookie Messick Nearly No-Hits Baltimore in 4-2 Loss

In a dramatic finish that had fans on the edge of their seats, the Baltimore Orioles narrowly escaped being no-hit, ultimately falling to the Cleveland Guardians 4-2. Rookie pitcher Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, but a late surge from the Orioles kept the game competitive on Thursday.

Messick entered the bottom of the ninth with an impressive line: only two walks and nine strikeouts on 106 pitches. However, the magic of a no-hitter slipped away when Leody Taveras broke through, slicing a ball back up the middle for the Orioles’ first hit of the night, just evading second baseman Juan Brito’s reach.

That first hit ignited a mini-rally for Baltimore. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt opted to keep Messick on the mound to face Blaze Alexander, who responded with a single to center. This prompted Vogt to call on closer Cade Smith, who faced a tough challenge as Taylor Ward worked a full count and loaded the bases with a 3-2 fastball lined into center.

With the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, Gunnar Henderson stepped up. The star shortstop nearly delivered a game-tying grand slam, instead settling for a 355-foot sacrifice fly to deep right-center. Following him, Pete Alonso attacked a first-pitch fastball, sending a line drive that ricocheted off the top of the right-field wall for an RBI double. Fans in Birdland were reminded of last September’s walk-off no-hitter against the Dodgers as the tension mounted.

Colton Cowser, pinch-hitting in a crucial moment, could not extend the rally, flying out to left-center. That left it to rookie Samuel Basallo, who sent a scorching 108 mph grounder up the middle, only to have Brito snatch it and throw to first for the final out. Despite the loss, the Orioles managed to make the game respectable after being dominated for most of the night.

Messick’s eight innings were a masterclass in pitching, as he kept Orioles hitters off balance with a mix of fastballs and changeups, producing easy groundouts and swings and misses. The only notable offensive threats from Baltimore came from a flyout by Ward in the third and a slick play by José Ramírez in foul territory during the eighth.

Conversely, Orioles starter Shane Baz had a tough outing. After a shaky start that included a two-run home run by Ramírez, he settled into the game, showing flashes of brilliance with strikeouts and groundouts, but ultimately allowed four runs over six innings. Baz finished with a line of six hits allowed, four earned runs, three walks, and six strikeouts.

As the Orioles look to snap their second three-game losing streak of the season, they will turn to Chris Bassitt for their next matchup against the Guardians. First pitch is set for 6:10 PM ET tomorrow.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.