On a recent Thursday, rookie pitcher Parker Messick for the Cleveland Guardians came agonizingly close to etching his name in the annals of baseball history.
During only his eleventh appearance as a major-league starter, Messick delivered an outstanding display, pitching eight innings without allowing a single hit during the Guardians’ 4-2 victory against the Baltimore Orioles.
The 25-year-old right-hander began the final inning with a pitch count of 106, having recorded nine strikeouts and issued two walks, while the Cleveland defense supported him in retiring 23 opposing hitters.
However, in the opening half of the ninth frame, Messick’s attempt at a no-hitter was foiled by a base hit from Leody Taveras, which managed to get past Cleveland’s second baseman, Juan Brito.
Immediately following that play, Blaze Alexander connected for another single, signaling the end of Messick’s impressive outing. The nascent pitcher was then relieved by Cade Smith.
Both Taveras and Alexander subsequently crossed home plate, narrowing the score to 4-2 and adding two earned runs to Messick’s pitching record for the game.
Messick concluded his performance having thrown 112 pitches, nearing his personal best of 121 pitches achieved during his collegiate career at Florida State, prior to his selection by the Guardians in the 2022 draft.
Had Messick successfully completed the feat, it would have marked the 327th no-hit game in Major League Baseball history. Furthermore, it would have been the inaugural no-hitter for the Cleveland franchise since 1981.
The entire 2025 season passed without a single no-hitter being thrown across the league, thereby ending a two-decade-long run of such events. The most recent instance of a no-no occurred on September 4, 2024—a span of 589 days—when Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga spearheaded a combined no-hitter versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. It appears MLB will need to exercise patience a while longer for this dry spell to conclude.
