The ballpark had a postseason hum hours before first pitch, and Parker Messick rode it into a sharp opening act for Cleveland. The rookie left-hander came out firing in his first October start, but one remarkable swing by Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami and a quiet Guardians lineup sent the White Sox to a 3-0 win in Saturday’s ALDS opener at Progressive Field.
Messick brought playoff-grade stuff
Messick struck out six of the first 11 hitters he faced, putting him within reach of Jaret Wright’s Cleveland rookie postseason mark of seven strikeouts, set in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. He did not record another strikeout after the third inning, but the outing still had the shape of the season that made him a Rookie of the Year candidate.
- Messick allowed two runs before departing in the fifth inning with one out.
- He threw 87 pitches, including 78 through four innings.
- His fastball averaged 96.9 mph, nearly 2 mph above his regular-season average.
- He produced 14 swings and misses, nine on his changeup.
- His 2.56 regular-season ERA ranked as the seventh-best by a qualified rookie since 1969.
“It was incredible,” Messick said of the sellout atmosphere. “Everyone showed up. It was a fun environment. I felt great coming out of the gate. I felt really good. The stuff was good.”
Manager Stephen Vogt saw much the same thing from his young starter. Chicago forced Messick to work, driving up the pitch total early, but Vogt believed the lefty did more than enough to keep Cleveland in the game.
“Outside of the one mistake — and it wasn’t really a bad pitch — I thought Parker threw the ball excellently,” Vogt said. “He did his job and kept us in the game.”
Murakami changed the afternoon with one swing
The decisive blow came after Cleveland’s offense left the bases loaded in the bottom of the third. Messick returned for the fourth and gave up a leadoff single to Miguel Vargas. Murakami followed by turning on a first-pitch sinker that was elevated on the inner half.
The drive was projected at 440 feet and nearly carried beyond the right-field seating area, pushing Chicago ahead 2-0. Those were the only runs charged to Messick.
Messick felt the sinker had reached its intended spot, on the inner edge of the plate, but Murakami was ready for it. “He just got to it,” Messick said. “I think he was sitting on it. Just put a good swing on a pitch.”
Catcher Austin Hedges did not fault the pitch or the rookie pitcher.
“He was awesome,” Hedges said. “Murakami took an unbelievable swing at a good pitch. Other than that, I thought he was excellent.”
Cleveland could not cash its chances
The Guardians had their own opportunities to change the scoreline. They came up empty in two bases-loaded situations and stranded seven runners overall. Their extended three-walk rally in the third kept Messick waiting in the dugout for nearly 20 minutes, but neither he nor Hedges considered that delay a reason for Murakami’s homer.
- Cleveland loaded the bases in the third inning on three straight walks.
- The club failed to score in that inning.
- The Guardians also could not convert another bases-loaded chance later in the game.
- Chicago took a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five series.
Hedges said the missed third-inning opportunity was frustrating, but he maintained that Messick’s next pitch was well executed and simply met by a better swing. Vogt put the loss on the club’s inability to build an offensive inning rather than on his starter.
“We just weren’t able to get anything going,” Vogt said. “But Parker was outstanding.”
Game 2 waits Monday
Messick’s postseason debut did not bring a win, but it gave Cleveland a sturdy reminder of what it has in its rookie left-hander: premium velocity, a changeup capable of missing bats, and composure in a packed October house. If he gets another turn in the series, the Guardians will need the hitters behind him to do more than load the bases.
Game 2 is scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. CT, with coverage on TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max.
