​MIAMI — Fresh off his addition to the American League All-Star team, former Florida State pitcher Parker Messick delivered one of the strongest performances of his still-young career. Messick carried a near no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with just one run allowed on one hit to lift the Cleveland Guardians to a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.
Messick weathered the challenge throughout the outing, issuing four walks but striking out only one. The lone blemish came on a solo homer by Heriberto Hernandez in the sixth inning. “I think this is another outing that shows Parker’s growth,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “He didn’t have great stuff, didn’t have great command, yet did not give up a hit for a long time.”
Through 19 games this season, Messick has gone 8-5 with a 2.73 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 110 strikeouts across 112 innings. The Plant City, Florida, native carried a 2.72 ERA through his first seven starts in the big leagues in 2025. “Parker just continues to get better and better each time,” Vogt added.
Messick outdueled Miami ace Sandy Alcantara, who turned in another solid performance by going seven innings and allowing three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. The Marlins’ offense collected four hits in the game, with Hernandez and Leo Jimenez delivering two of the four as solo homers. Jimenez, who has struggled since being traded to the Marlins in April, is 7-for-24 (.292) with two homers and five RBI over his last seven games.
Cleveland grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Chase DeLauter homered for the 10th time this season. They extended their advantage to 3-0 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Travis Bazzana, another All-Star for Cleveland.
On a weekend when World Cup quarterfinals between England and Norway dominated headlines, the atmosphere at loanDepot Park reflected a different kind of energy. The announced attendance was 15,605, but the crowd seemed larger, and fans treated the moment with the fervor of a Premier League match, singing through much of the game. Vogt, who has spent years with the Marlins as a player and manager since 2012, called Friday “the best atmosphere I’ve ever been here.”
The loss ended Miami’s six-game winning streak. They’ll try to rebound Saturday behind Eury Pérez (5-6, 3.84 ERA), who is coming off seven perfect frames against the Athletics last week. Cleveland will counter with Tanner Bibee (2-9, 4.06 ERA).