Parker Messick’s impressive outing helped the Guardians to a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers. Messick, making only his eighth big league start, held the two-time defending champion Dodgers scoreless through six innings. The win handed L.A. its first loss of the season.
Messick’s Dominant Performance
The 25-year-old left-hander struck out five Dodgers and allowed only five hits. Four of those hits were singles. Messick threw six different pitches for strikes, generating 10 whiffs, and his four-seamer reached 95.5 mph.
Manager Stephen Vogt was full of praise for Messick’s performance. “What an outstanding outing that was,” Vogt said. “It just felt like he was in control the whole time, stayed smooth, executed pitches, got quick outs. Pitch count was really low; he was working efficiently. He did his job and then some tonight.”
Vogt noted Messick’s determination since Spring Training. “He came to make the team, that was very apparent,” he said. “We knew we were going to have a competition; all of our pitchers were aware there was going to be a competition. He came in with one goal. He was like, ‘I’m making this team.’ Worked tremendously hard all winter, got himself into great shape, and he’s been throwing the ball well all spring.”
Batter’s Perspective
Even Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing acknowledged Messick’s strong showing. “You don’t roll through a lineup like this and limit them to no runs for however many he went. He threw his tail off. He looked really good tonight. Sometimes you gotta tip the cap, but at the same time, we’d like to see him again.”
Hedges Praises Messick’s Pitching Style
Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, who celebrated his 10th year of MLB service time with a 2-for-4 performance and two runs scored, lauded Messick’s pitching abilities. Hedges said Messick embodies “the lost art of truly pitching.”
“He’s got different pitches, he can throw them all in different locations,” Hedges said. “He brought out a couple of weapons that he hadn’t used a lot in the past, like the changeup to the lefties, and obviously that’s about as good a lineup as we’re going to face, and he just dominated.” Hedges added that Messick’s talent and poise reflect his character.
Messick’s Perspective
Messick spoke about his approach to the game. “It’s the first one of the rookie year, and I had a lot of time to prepare, knowing when I was throwing, so just really tried to control emotions, execute the game plan and take it one pitch at a time,” Messick said. “There’s a dangerous hitter one through nine in that lineup, so you just really have to execute every pitch.”
Messick debuted on Aug. 20 last season and posted a 2.72 ERA in seven starts. This occurred as the Guardians transitioned to a six-man rotation during their late-season comeback to win the American League Central.
Vogt added, “If you watched his debut [last season], that didn’t seem like a debut,” Vogt added. “This is who he is. He’s ready to pitch in the big leagues; he’s been ready to pitch in the big leagues. I’m excited to watch him all year.”