Messick loses no-hit bid in 9th, but Guardians hold off Orioles - ESPN

CLEVELAND — Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, Jose Ramirez homered for the third time in four games and the Cleveland Guardians opened a seven-game homestand with a 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

Messick, 25, was bidding to complete 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 at Wrigley Field.

Making his 11th major league start, Messick (3-0) faced one batter more than the minimum through eight innings before Leody Taveras led off the ninth with a grounder that just eluded diving second baseman Juan Brito and went into right field for a single.

Blaze Alexander followed with a line-drive single to center before the rookie left-hander was removed to a standing ovation from the crowd of 14,748.

Taylor Ward's single off closer Cade Smith loaded the bases, and Gunnar Henderson's sacrifice fly drove in Taveras. Pete Alonso hit an RBI double that put runners at second and third with one out.

Smith then retired pinch hitter Colton Cowser on a fly to center and Samuel Basallo on a grounder for his fourth save.

Messick walked two and equaled a career best with nine strikeouts. He was charged with two runs in eight-plus innings, his longest outing in the majors. He threw 112 pitches, 78 for strikes.

Cleveland has the longest current gap between no-hitters. The team's last one was Len Barker's perfect game May 15, 1981, against the Toronto Blue Jays, a span of 7,055 days that represents the fourth-longest no-hitter drought in MLB history.

Thursday marked the franchise's sixth straight failed no-hit bid after reaching the ninth inning, tied for the second-longest streak by a team in