Guardians’ rookie Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the 9th inning, but couldn’t complete the first Cleveland no-hitter in 25 years, settling for a 4-2 victory over the Orioles, Thursday.

Messick game into the bottom of the 9th with only two walks allowed and nine strikeouts on 106 pitches. He tried to sneak a cutter past Leody Taveras, only for the Orioles’ CF to slash to the ball back up the middle toward right-center, just out of the reach of 2B Juan Brito, for the Orioles first hit of the night.

Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth, and on the first pitch of the inning Leody Taveras delivered a single pic.twitter.com/tc9Sj4blPM

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 17, 2026

The relief of no longer having a 0 in the hit column helped spark a mini rally for Baltimore in the top of the 9th. Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt left Messick in to face Blaze Alexander, who rewarded that decision by lining a single to center field. That forced Vogt to turn to closer Cade Smith, who allowed the O’s to further claw back in the game. Taylor Ward worked a full count against Smith, and then loaded the bases when he line a 3-2 fastball into center.

Gunnar Henderson then came to the plate representing the tying run for Baltimore. The star SS just missed hitting a game-tying grand slam as well, getting just out in front of a Smith splitter and sending a 355-foot sac fly to deep right-center. Pete Alonso then took his own chance at being the Orioles’ hero, attacking a first-pitch fastball and sending it ricocheting off the top of the wall in right field for an RBI double. Had Alonso’s sinking line drive been five feet higher and five feet to the left, it would’ve been a three-run homer that tied the game. Instead, he had to settle for putting the tying run at second with one out.

As minds in Birdland began to turn to the Orioles magical no-hitter to walk-off winner Houdini act last September against the Dodgers, Colton Cowser stepped in as a pinch hitter. After fouling off some tough pitches from Smith, Cowser just got under a ball, sending a hard-hit shallow fly to left-center for the second out. That left the fate of the comeback to rookie Samuel Basallo, who sent a 108mph grounder screaming up the middle, only for Brito to grab it and toss the ball over to first for the final out.

The fact that the O’s made Thursday’s loss look respectable came as a surprise after Messick left them utterly befuddled for eight innings. The stocky, 25-year-old lefty had Orioles swinging through fastballs, flailing and changeups and pounding easy groundouts to shortstop all night. The only really loud outs of the game on a Ward flyout in the 3rd that died right up against the centerfield fence, and a nifty snag in foul territory by José Ramírez in the 8th. The complete lack of good swings from the Orioles against Messick made it look like they could go 100 ABs against the southpaw and never sniff a hit.

To say Orioles starter Shane Baz had a bad outing in Cleveland would probably be a little harsh, but he certainly paled in comparison to his counterpart, Messick. Coming off a lackluster outing against the Giants, Baz didn’t start the game with his best stuff against the Guardians. After punching out Steven Kwan to start the game, he walked Chase DeLauter on five pitches and then made a big mistake to perennial All-Star Ramírez. Baz threw a first-pitch fastball down the heart of the plate, and the Guardians’ all-time leader in games played smashed it to deep left-center for a two-run blast.

The 26-year-old right-hander quickly but that blunder behind him, though. He got out of the first thanks to a diving stop by Jeremiah Jackson at second and a lineout to Pete Alonso. The Polar Bear then made a great snag on a grounder to start the 2nd, before Baz punched out Austin Hedges on a foul-tipped cutter and ended the inning with a pop out to short.

The Orioles’ right-hander breezed through the 3rd inning thanks to a pair of grounders and a pop-up to the catcher. He’d open the 4th by striking out Kyle Manzardo looking, before giving up a single to George Valera, ending a streak of seven consecutive Guardians retired. The O’s defense would pick up their starter to end the 4th, as Coby Mayo stabbed a hard-hit grounder at third and started a 5-4-3 double play.

Baz picked up his fourth punchout of the night to begin the 5th, snapping off a knuckle curve below the zone to get Juan Brito. After getting Hedges to ground out on another good knuckle curve, the hard-throwing Texan ran into some bad luck to end the 5th.

Shortstop Brayan Rocchio grounded a ball to the right side that just barely eluded the pocket of Jackson’s glove, skipped off the glove into right field and allowed Rocchio to skamper to second for a double. After a double with an xBA of .120 kept the inning alive, Kwan lined a single to RF Johnathan Rodríguez. The Orioles’ outfielder fired a frozen rope to home plate, beating Rocchio, but the Cleveland infielder just barely slid under the tag of Samuel Basallo to score the Guardians’ third run.

Cleveland would add their fourth run against Baz in the 6th, thanks to another rally started by Ramírez. The Guardians’ best player led off the inning by working a 10-pitch walk. He then moved to third on a line drive by Manzardo to right, before scoring on a single to left off Valera’s bat. The Oriole’s starter would limit the damage, finishing the inning with two more Ks and a groundout to short. That closed Baz’s line at 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB and 6 K.

---

The Orioles will look to end their second three-game losing streak of the season tomorrow when Chris Bassitt takes the bump in Cleveland. First pitch is set for 6:10pm ET.

Guardians’ rookie Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the 9th inning, but couldn’t complete the first Cleveland no-hitter in 25 years, settling for a 4-2 victory over the Orioles, Thursday.

Messick game into the bottom of the 9th with only two walks allowed and nine strikeouts on 106 pitches. He tried to sneak a cutter past Leody Taveras, only for the Orioles’ CF to slash to the ball back up the middle toward right-center, just out of the reach of 2B Juan Brito, for the Orioles first hit of the night.

Parker Messick took a no-hitter into the ninth, and on the first pitch of the inning Leody Taveras delivered a single pic.twitter.com/tc9Sj4blPM

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 17, 2026

The relief of no longer having a 0 in the hit column helped spark a mini rally for Baltimore in the top of the 9th. Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt left Messick in to face Blaze Alexander, who rewarded that decision by lining a single to center field. That forced Vogt to turn to closer Cade Smith, who allowed the O’s to further claw back in the game. Taylor Ward worked a full count against Smith, and then loaded the bases when he line a 3-2 fastball into center.

Gunnar Henderson then came to the plate representing the tying run for Baltimore. The star SS just missed hitting a game-tying grand slam as well, getting just out in front of a Smith splitter and sending a 355-foot sac fly to deep right-center. Pete Alonso then took his own chance at being the Orioles’ hero, attacking a first-pitch fastball and sending it ricocheting off the top of the wall in right field for an RBI double. Had Alonso’s sinking line drive been five feet higher and five feet to the left, it would’ve been a three-run homer that tied the game. Instead, he had to settle for putting the tying run at second with one out.

As minds in Birdland began to turn to the Orioles magical no-hitter to walk-off winner Houdini act last September against the Dodgers, Colton Cowser stepped in as a pinch hitter. After fouling off some tough pitches from Smith, Cowser just got under a ball, sending a hard-hit shallow fly to left-center for the second out. That left the fate of the comeback to rookie Samuel Basallo, who sent a 108mph grounder screaming up the middle, only for Brito to grab it and toss the ball over to first for the final out.

The fact that the O’s made Thursday’s loss look respectable came as a surprise after Messick left them utterly befuddled for eight innings. The stocky, 25-year-old lefty had Orioles swinging through fastballs, flailing and changeups and pounding easy groundouts to shortstop all night. The only really loud outs of the game on a Ward flyout in the 3rd that died right up against the centerfield fence, and a nifty snag in foul territory by José Ramírez in the 8th. The complete lack of good swings from the Orioles against Messick made it look like they could go 100 ABs against the southpaw and never sniff a hit.

To say Orioles starter Shane Baz had a bad outing in Cleveland would probably be a little harsh, but he certainly paled in comparison to his counterpart, Messick. Coming off a lackluster outing against the Giants, Baz didn’t start the game with his best stuff against the Guardians. After punching out Steven Kwan to start the game, he walked Chase DeLauter on five pitches and then made a big mistake to perennial All-Star Ramírez. Baz threw a first-pitch fastball down the heart of the plate, and the Guardians’ all-time leader in games played smashed it to deep left-center for a two-run blast.

The 26-year-old right-hander quickly but that blunder behind him, though. He got out of the first thanks to a diving stop by Jeremiah Jackson at second and a lineout to Pete Alonso. The Polar Bear then made a great snag on a grounder to start the 2nd, before Baz punched out Austin Hedges on a foul-tipped cutter and ended the inning with a pop out to short.

The Orioles’ right-hander breezed through the 3rd inning thanks to a pair of grounders and a pop-up to the catcher. He’d open the 4th by striking out Kyle Manzardo looking, before giving up a single to George Valera, ending a streak of seven consecutive Guardians retired. The O’s defense would pick up their starter to end the 4th, as Coby Mayo stabbed a hard-hit grounder at third and started a 5-4-3 double play.

Baz picked up his fourth punchout of the night to begin the 5th, snapping off a knuckle curve below the zone to get Juan Brito. After getting Hedges to ground out on another good knuckle curve, the hard-throwing Texan ran into some bad luck to end the 5th.

Shortstop Brayan Rocchio grounded a ball to the right side that just barely eluded the pocket of Jackson’s glove, skipped off the glove into right field and allowed Rocchio to skamper to second for a double. After a double with an xBA of .120 kept the inning alive, Kwan lined a single to RF Johnathan Rodríguez. The Orioles’ outfielder fired a frozen rope to home plate, beating Rocchio, but the Cleveland infielder just barely slid under the tag of Samuel Basallo to score the Guardians’ third run.

Cleveland would add their fourth run against Baz in the 6th, thanks to another rally started by Ramírez. The Guardians’ best player led off the inning by working a 10-pitch walk. He then moved to third on a line drive by Manzardo to right, before scoring on a single to left off Valera’s bat. The Oriole’s starter would limit the damage, finishing the inning with two more Ks and a groundout to short. That closed Baz’s line at 6 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB and 6 K.

---

The Orioles will look to end their second three-game losing streak of the season tomorrow when Chris Bassitt takes the bump in Cleveland. First pitch is set for 6:10pm ET.

Sustained success, revenue generation, and a fanbase that spans the farthest reaches of the globe — these markers separate an average team from Bayern Munich.Therefore, Die Rekordmeister attracts footballing talent to Munich the way a bright light draws a swarm of insects. Committing that talent to pen and paper is, however, a different story.

But how complex can bringing a player to an elite side like Bayern be? Surprisingly, very. Max Eberl knows the nuances of signing players better than anyone else — it is his job, after all. He doesn’t point out a player he likes, get out his wallet and pay. No, this isn’t as simple as breaking out the piggy bank, walking into a toy store, and picking out the one you like. Eberl needs permission from mom and dad.

“First, I talk to Vinnie and Christoph about the player, and then in discussions with Jan (Dreesen), the financial aspect comes into play,” the Bayern board member for sport explained (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Furthermore, I talk to the supervisory board, including Herbert Hainer, Uli, and Kalle, who inevitably get involved when the sums of money get bigger. Discussions with them are simply “FC Bayern.” They want what’s best for the club. Just like me.”

To ink one player, Eberl must coordinate six times the amount of people — seven including himself. Now consider the fact that all seven party members need be on the same page, and that’s not even taking the financial aspect into account. It’s no wonder transfers take so long to complete.

Transfers are complex. They are mechanisms powered by hundreds of gears that differ in shape and size, but all fit together. One bad fit, missing, or damaged cog, and the whole mechanism collapses. Think about that the next time you feel impatient when Bayern are in the process of signing a player.

Pitching was supposed to be the strength of Arizona’s 2026 team, but then life happened.

It started with the departures of two coaches who were instrumental in assembling and developing the staff, including one only a few weeks before the season began. Then a series of arm injuries popped up, most notably to closer Tony Pluta.

This had a major effect on the Wildcats’ bullpen, where roles had to be redefined and new pitching coach Sean Kenny had to learn on the fly who could be trusted in what situation. Not surprisingly, the results during the first half of the season reflected all this uncertainty.

But as it heads into a 6-game Big 12 homestand, Arizona’s pitching has started to perform as expected despite all the change. The staff ERA over the last five games—which includes four wins, three on the road—is 3.27, and no opponent has managed more than five runs or eight hits in that span.

That includes Monday’s 11-inning win at ASU, which saw six UA pitchers hold one of the most potent lineups in the country to three runs and seven hits.

It doesn’t get any easier for Arizona (14-22, 5-10), though. Kansas State (23-14, 7-8) leads the Big 12 in hitting in conference games in batting (.344), on-base percentage (.440) and slugging (.586).

“This weekend is a huge weekend against another good team in our conference, and we have to play good baseball,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “We know with our starting pitching, they’re going to give us a chance to have a chance to win and late in the game, like we’ve been doing.”

Arizona’s starting rotation of Owen Kramkowski, Smith Bailey and Luc Fladda have averaged just over 5.5 innings in Big 12 play, with Kramkowski going six or more in his last three starts. That has enabled Hale and Kenny to line up the bullpen arms in a particular order, with seven getting into at least four conference games.

Garrett Hicks has established himself as the closer, with three saves and a 2.61 ERA in Big 12 play. He’s also thrown 11.1 consecutive scoreless innings, including three at the end of Monday’s win at ASU.

“Garrett Hicks was not 100 percent to start the year,” Hale said. “He’d gotten hurt in the fall and we had slow played it, bringing him back. Sean was very careful how he used him early on in the year. What Sean has figured out, as has the rest of us, is (Hicks) is probably better with a lot of work.”

Most of Arizona’s top relief arms are upperclassmen, the exception being freshman right-hander Benton Hickman. He holds a 3.45 ERA in 12 appearances totaling 15.2 innings, and his opposing batting average of .175 is lowest among regulars.

“He really hasn’t struggled with guys hitting him,” Hale said. “His stuff is very hard to hit, but what you don’t factor into it is, can you throw enough strikes. We maybe overshot what he could do to start with. There were people that said he could be our closer when Tony went down.”

Hickman’s first career appearance, against Oregon State in Surprise, saw him hit the first two batters he faced, picking up the loss. He hit six batters in his first three outings.

“I definitely got the experience my first outing at U of A,” Hickman said. “It was a good first outing. It got (me) a lot of experience.”

Hickman, from Litchfield Park, Ariz., has worked with a pair of ex-MLB pitchers in Todd Stottlemyre and Stephen Randolph to help him transition to a college reliever.

“I kind of leaned on them, especially early, when I was going through struggle,” he said. “I called them and talked to them, and they got me refocused on my mental game. I think my biggest part of my game for relievers are the mental side. I mean, coming in with bases loaded or coming in with guys on is never the easiest situation. But I think when I talked to them, I definitely got a better grasp of reminding myself who I was and how that’s my role as a pitcher. That’s my strong suit.”

That’s showed in recent outings, like at ASU when he was brought into a 2-run game with the tying runs in scoring position and one out. He got a strikeout then, after an intentional walk to load the bases, induced an inning-ending groundout to preserve a 3-1 lead at the time.

“He’s gonna be better than I am,” Pluta said of Hickman. “He’s really impressive. His stuff is elite. It’s way better than my stuff is. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, if he can find a way to recover after the bad outings and just stay in a good mental space, I mean, he’s gonna be absolutely dominant. I’m understating it more than anything, I think he’s gonna be a really good player.”

After hosting Kansas State, Arizona welcomes BYU to Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats are currently in 13th place in the Big 12, with only the top 12 making the conference tournament, but are only a game out of 10th.

A crowd-pleasing style had Kyler
Phillips on the brink of contention in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division not that
long ago.

The
MMA Lab rep will attempt to correct course when he confronts
former TKO
Major League MMA champion Charles
Jourdain in the
UFC Fight Night 273 co-main event this Saturday at the Canada
Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Phillips, 30, enters the arena
gladiatorum on the heels of back-to-back losses for the first time
in his career. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 27 graduate last
fought at UFC 318, where he wound up on the wrong side of a
unanimous decision against Vinicius
Oliveira on July 19. Phillips holds a 6-3 record in the UFC,
his run with the promotion highlighted by wins over Pedro
Munhoz, Raoni
Barcelos and Yadong
Song. Jourdain, meanwhile, steps into the spotlight on the
strength of consecutive victories. The 30-year-old Academie Pro
Star MMA export last saw action on Oct. 18, when he put away
Davey
Grant with a guillotine choke a little more than three minutes
into their UFC Fight Night 262 pairing. Jourdain has compiled an
8-7-1 mark across his 16 appearances inside the Octagon, his resume
anchored by wins over Victor
Henry, Ricardo
Ramos, Kron Gracie
and Doo
Ho Choi.

The Phillips-Jourdain showdown sticks out as one of the prime
candidates for “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC Fight Night 273.
Four more to consider:

Gilbert
Burns vs. Mike
Malott

Burns appears to be walking a tightrope at 170 pounds. The
Kill Cliff Fight Club mainstay sets out in search of his first
victory in more than three years when he takes on Malott in the
welterweight headliner. Burns, who turns 40 in July, staggers into
the five-round clash on a career-worst four-fight losing streak. He
last suited up on May 17, when he yielded to punches from the
unbeaten Michael
Morales in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 256
encounter. On the other side of the equation, Malott has started to
build real momentum in the welterweight division. The 34-year-old
Canadian has rattled off three straight wins against Trevin
Giles, Charles
Radtke and Kevin
Holland. Malott arrived in the UFC via
Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.

Mandel
Nallo vs. Jai
Herbert

Nallo, if nothing else, has established himself as a scary
proposition for virtually anyone who calls the lightweight midcard
home. The
Tristar Gym product makes his long-awaited promotional debut
opposite Herbert in a three-round showcase at 155 pounds. Nallo,
36, enters the cage riding a wave of five straight wins, all of
them finishes inside one round. The Firas Zahabi protege last
competed on Week 4 of DWCS in September, when he punched out
Samuel
Silva just 3:29 into their confrontation. Nallo has held titles
in the Samourai MMA and Elite 1 MMA organizations. Hebert,
meanwhile, has endured an up-and-down tenure in the UFC thus far.
The former Cage
Warriors champion has not strapped on the gloves since he
dropped a split decision to Chris
Padilla at UFC Fight Night 255 on March 22. Herbert has secured
nine of his 13 career victories by knockout or technical
knockout.

Marcio
Barbosa vs. Dennis
Buzukja

Barbosa looks well prepared to introduce himself to a wider
audience. The 5-foot-6, 145-pound Brazilian draws his first
assignment in the UFC when he toes the line against Buzukja in a
three-round featherweight feature. Still just 27 years old, Barbosa
has strung together four straight wins and nailed down his spot on
the roster with a TKO of Damon
Wilson on the Contender Series in August. It was his 16th
first-round finish to date. Barbosa operates out of the Giants Team
camp in Niteroi, Brazil. On the other side of the ledger, Buzukja
has not yet established a foothold at the sport’s highest level.
The
Syndicate MMA featherweight last appeared at UFC on ESPN 62,
where he lost a split decision to Francis
Marshall on Aug. 24. Buzukja, 28, was a champion in Ring of
Combat and Maverick MMA before he set up shop in the UFC.

Allan
Nascimento vs. Mitch
Raposo

Nascimento has begun to cultivate a reputation as an action hero at
125 pounds. The 34-year-old Brazilian sizes up his latest hurdle
when he meets Raposo in a three-round flyweight prelim. Nascimento
steps onto the battlefield with the wind of a four-fight winning
streak at his back. He continued his ascent within the division at
UFC Fight Night 263, where he rallied to dispatch Cody Durden
with an anaconda choke in the second round of their Nov. 1 affair.
Nascimento trains out of the same Diego Lima-fronted
Chute Boxe affiliate that produced Charles
Oliveira. Raposo, meanwhile, remains something of a mystery
man. He rebounded from back-to-back defeats to Andre Lima
and Su
Mudaerji with a three-round unanimous decision over Azat Maksum
at UFC 321 on Oct. 25. Raposo, 27, sharpens his skills as part of
the
New England Cartel in his native Massachusetts.

The New England Patriots have identified the former franchise great who will present one of their draft picks on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, former Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch will announce one of the Patriots’ selections between rounds 2-3 of the NFL draft as part of the NFL’s Legends initiative.

Branch was selected by the Patriots with the No. 65 overall pick in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The Louisville product played for the Patriots from 2002-05, and then from 2010-12.

Branch won two Super Bowls with New England and was named the Super Bowl XXXIX MVP.

The Patriots are in the market for a wide receiver, off-ball linebacker and an offensive lineman on the right side of the ball in the draft. New England owns the No. 63 overall pick in the second round, as well as the No. 95 overall pick in the third round this year.

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots two-time Super Bowl champ to announce team’s Day 2 draft pick

In pursuit of a better-rounded roster, the Texas Longhorns hosted Long Beach City College edge Paul Kouame on Thursday, extending an offer during the official visit.

After a great conversation with @CoachLCTrenches@CoachMashack I am truly blessed and humble to receive a Division 1 Offer to THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS #AGTG#HOOKEM#LONGHORNS🤘🏿@Mcoop_Coach@LBCCFB_VGOH@coachaiava@CoachJPrince@CoachDixon55@coachGCov@PrototypePlaye2pic.twitter.com/eA0C3aB0By

— Paul Kouame (@PaulKouame44) April 16, 2026

The 6’3, 240-pounder was a full qualifier out of high school with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

The Inglewood product recorded 34 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and one forced fumble in 10 games as a freshman, better production than he achived as a senior in high school, earning offers from Eastern Washington after an official visit, Idaho, and New Mexico.

A consensus three-star prospect, Kouame is the No. 262 JUCO player nationally and the No. 26 edge, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets agree to contract extension with Rick Bowness