CLEVELAND What happened? Craig Albernaz\u2019s return to Cleveland turned unpleasant as he watched the team he\u2019s now managing, the Baltimore Orioles, fail to get a hit for eight innings.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Blaze Alexander followed with a single, and Cade Smith replaced Messick. Taylor Ward singled to load the bases. Taveras scored on Gunnar Henderson\u2019s sacrifice fly. Alexander scored on Pete Alonso\u2019s double to right. Colton Cowser flied to center and Samuel Basallo grounded sharply to second to end the game.<\/p>\n
The Orioles\u2019 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians before 14,878 at Progressive Field on Thursday night was their third straight.<\/p>\n
It was the first time Messick (3-0) pitched into the ninth inning.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had all his pitches dialed in the strike zone,\u201d Albernaz said. \u201cHe did a great job of changing speeds in all counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s two-out triple in the ninth inning spoiled a combined no-hitter attempt against the Detroit Tigers on September 13th, 2024. Jackson Holliday\u2019s home run spoiled the Dodgers\u2019 Yoshinobu Yamamoto\u2019s no-hit bid on September 6th, 2025, a game the Orioles eventually won, 4-3<\/p>\n
The Orioles have not been no-hit since Seattle\u2019s Hisashi Iwakuma did it on August 12th, 2015.<\/p>\n
No Cleveland pitcher has thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker on May 10th, 1981.<\/p>\n
There weren\u2019t any no-hitters in 2025. The last one was a combined no-hitter by three Chicago Cubs pitchers against Pittsburgh on September 4th, 2024.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Cleveland centerfielder Steven Kwan made a leaping catch on Ward\u2019s drive to the wall to end the third, and Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez made a nice play behind third base on Coby Mayo\u2019s sharp grounder to end the fifth.<\/p>\n
Ram\u00edrez made another fine play on Basallo\u2019s foul pop to start the eighth. Ram\u00edrez caught it backhanded as he leaned into the stands.<\/p>\n
Oriole starter Shane Baz walked Chase DeLauter with one out in the first. Ram\u00edrez homered on the first pitch to give the Guardians a 2-0 lead.<\/p>\n
Cleveland scored with two outs in the fifth on a double by Rocchio and a single by Kwan. George Valera\u2019s RBI single in the sixth made it 4-0.<\/p>\n
Baz allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, striking out six and walking three.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
How dominant was Messick? Alexander was the only Oriole who had faced Messick previously. The others were impressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was dealing the ball really good,\u201d Taveras said. \u201cHis changeup was really good, honestly, and his fastball, too. He had good stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said Ward: \u201cI think just the way he gathers in his legs, he really kind of gets low. It\u2019s a little funky. You don\u2019t normally see that kind of body movement. I just think that he was just a little funky.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
How did Baz pitch? Baz didn\u2019t think about how Messick was throwing.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially after that first inning, I was more just focused on what I was going to do with the next few batters when I\u2019m in the dugout,\u201d Baz said. \u201cIt definitely puts pressure on the team a little bit, but I felt like it didn\u2019t really affect me.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the first inning, Baz allowed just one hit until the fifth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first inning, it was one bad pitch, really,\u201d Baz said. \u201cIt was my fault just getting to that pitch in that spot. I\u2019ve got to know better than that. I\u2019ve pitched too much to not think that through a little more. Just made a bad pitch. I felt like I wasn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
What does it mean? The Orioles could use more right-handed punch. Tyler O\u2019Neill is on the 7-day concussion injury list, but he\u2019s on the trip. Perhaps he\u2019ll get activated soon.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the word? \u201cI believe if something\u2019s going to happen, it\u2019s going to happen. Today wasn\u2019t the day for a no-hitter.\u201d-Taveras on the Orioles\u2019 breaking up the no-hitter. <\/p>\n
What\u2019s the stat of the day? 4.91. That\u2019s Baz\u2019s ERA through four starts.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s going on in the minor leagues? Jos\u00e9 Barrero drove in four runs as Triple-A Norfolk beat Durham, 7-2. Christian Encarnacion-Strand also homered.<\/p>\n
Franklin Bencosme drove in three runs as Double-A Chesapeake lost to New Hampshire, 12-6.<\/p>\n
Vance Honeycutt had two hits as High-A Frederick lost to Hudson Valley, 5-2.<\/p>\n
Single-A Delmarva lost to Fredericksburg, 8-2.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next? Chris Bassitt (0-2, 9.00) will start against Tanner Bibee (0-2, 6.38) at 6:10 p.m. on Friday.<\/p>\n