Guardians
Guardians’ Parker Messick shuts down Dodgers for six innings in 4-2 win
Updated: Mar. 31, 2026, 12:50 a.m.|Published: Mar. 31, 2026, 12:45 a.m.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
LOS ANGELES — During the offseason, the Guardians gave their starting pitchers a message. It went like this: “We ended last season with six starters. We’re going to break camp with five. This is going to be a competition. Be ready.”
Rookie left-hander Parker Messick got the message, and he’s pitched like it since the first day of spring training.
It earned him a spot in the rotation, and Monday night it earned him a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers, who just happened to win the last two World Series.
Messick, in his first start of the season, threw six scoreless innings. He allowed four hits while striking five.
How efficient was Messick? He needed just 76 pitches to go six innings, an average of just under 13 pitches inning.
The Guardians, clinging to a 1-0 lead, finally got some separation from the Dodgers in the seventh.
They loaded the bases against Justin Wrobleski on singles by Austin Hedges, Angel Martinez and a bunt single by Steven Kwan. Wrobleski almost escaped as Chase DeLauter lined out to short and Jose Ramirez hit a weak fly ball to right field.
But Rhys Hoskins, down in the count 0-2, worked a bases loaded walk to make it 2-0. Daniel Schneemann followed with a double to the gap in left center for a 4-0 lead.
The bullpen finished the victory as Shawn Armstrong, Erik Sabrowski and Cade Smith worked the last three innings. The Dodgers scored twice off Smith in the ninth on a Mookie Betts double and a Freddie Freeman groundout.
The Guardians took a 1-0 lead in the third against Dodger starter Roki Sasaki (0-1, 2.50) on doubles by Hedges and Kwan.
Hedges, who reached 10 full years in the big leagues Sunday, started the rally with a leadoff double to right. Martinez, batting ninth, moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt.
Kwan delivered Hedges with another double to right.
When DeLauter turned a 3-2 pitch into a walk, it looked like the Guardians were getting to Sasaki. But he struck out Ramirez and retired Manzardo on a liner to right.
Messick allowed a single to Shohei Ohtani on his second pitch of the game. After that he pitched well.
He had an interesting inning in the third. Miguel Rojas hit a leadoff double past first. When No.9 hitter Dalton Rushing popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt to the third base side of the mound, Messick made a wild dive for the ball and almost collided with Ramirez, who could have easily caught the ball as he charged from third base.
The ball fell for a single as Ramirez came up limping after jumping over Messick. The game was delayed for several minutes as Ramirez was tended to, but he stayed in the game.
Messick proceeded to pickoff Rojas, who did not advance to third on Rushing’s bunt because he thought it was going to be caught, at second. Rojas was originally called safe, but the Guardians challenged and the call was overturned.
The next two Dodger hitters, Ohtani and Kyle Tucker, went down in order.
The Guardians missed a chance to add to their lead in the fifth. Martinez started the inning with a single against Sasaki to bring lefty Tanner Scott into the game. Martinez stole second and went to third on Kwan’s bloop single to right.
Ramirez, who came into the game hitting .321 (17 for 53) in his career against the Dodgers, skied a pop up behind first base. It looked like it was going to find grass for an RBI single, but Rojas sprinted over from second base to make a sliding catch and fire a strike to the plate.
The inning ended when Scott struck out Rhys Hoskins, who was pinch-hitting for Manzardo.
Last season Messick made his big league debut with Cleveland. He made seven starters and the offense never scored more than three runs in any of those starts.
For Messick’s six innings Monday night, it was more of the same as he walked the razor’s edge with a 1-0 lead.
Next
RHP Tanner Bibee (0-0, 5.40) vs. RHP Shohei Ohtani (first start) Tuesday at 10:10 p.m. EDT. Guardians.TV, WTAM and the Guardians Radio Network will carry the game.
BOXSCORE
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/guardians-v ... /final/box
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