After not losing a series all season, the Cleveland Guardians dropped two of three games in both Atlanta and St. Louis during the last week.
Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Cardinals gave the Guardians their first losing streak of the season. At 10-9, they trail the Minnesota Twins (11-7) in the American League Central Division.
Now the Guardians return to Cleveland for a homestand against the Orioles and Astros. It begins Thursday night against the Orioles
Here’s what to know before first pitch:
Guardians’ Parker Messick has a no-hitter through 4½ innings
Jose Ramirez makes a nice play at third base and throws across for the third out in the Orioles fourth. Guardians left-hander Parker Messick still has a no-hitter, and the Guardians lead 2-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Guardians still lead 2-0 at the end of 3 innings
Parker Messick retires the Orioles in order, with Steven Kwan making a catch at the wall in center for the third out. Shane Baz follows suit, retiring the Guardians 1-2-3. Guardians lead 2-0 heading to the fourth inning.
Guardians lead 2-0 at the end of 2 innings
Both sides go down in order in the second inning. Guardians lead 2-0 at the end of two.
Jose Ramirez hits a 2-run home run to give Guardians early lead
Chase DeLauter draws a one-out walk off Orioles starter Shane Baz and scores Jose Ramirez’s fourth home run of the season, a blast to right field. At the end of the first inning, it’s Guardians 2, Orioles 0.
After the Orioles get a leadoff walk in the first, Guardians starter Parker Messick retires the next three batters. It’s 0-0 heading to the bottom of the first.
Where to watch the Guardians today
Today’s Guardians-Orioles game will be televised on Guardians TV.
Guardians lineup today vs. Orioles
Orioles lineup today vs. Guardians
Guardians vs. Orioles starting pitchers today
Left-hander Parker Messick (2-0, 0.51) gets the start for Cleveland on Thursday.
Messick was dominant against the Braves on Saturday, allowing just four hits and two walks and striking out five in 6⅔ scoreless innings in a 6-0 win.
Right-hander Shane Baz (0-1, 4.50) gets the start for the Orioles. He was the losing pitcher in a loss Friday to the Giants, allowing three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings. A trade acquisition from the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, Baz has not yet pitched six innings and has surrendered at least three earned runs in two of his first three starts this season.
American League Central Division standings
Dustin May pitches Cardinals past Guardians Wednesday
Dustin May tossed six strong innings and Alec Burleson drove in two runs, fueling the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-3 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon.
May (2-2) allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts for St. Louis, which won the rubber match of the series after posting a 6-5 victory on Tuesday. Nathan Church went 3-for-4 with an RBI double on Wednesday.
Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi allowed one run on three hits with five walks in four innings. Connor Brogdon (2-2) relieved Cecconi and surrendered three runs on two hits in 1⅓ innings.
Bo Naylor drove in two runs for the Guardians, who lost for the fourth time in six games.
Cleveland opened the scoring in the first inning on Kyle Manzardo’s two-out single.
St. Louis evened the score in the second inning.
Church singled and stole second with one out before coming around to score on Pedro Pages’s RBI single. Cecconi walked JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera to load the bases before striking out Burleson to escape the jam.
After throwing a perfect fifth inning in relief of Cecconi, Brogdon allowed singles to Masyn Winn and Church in the sixth before Victor Scott II walked to load the bases. Wetherholt’s sacrifice fly off Tim Herrin gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead, and St. Louis tacked on two more runs on Burleson’s single.
St. Louis reliever Justin Bruihl entered in the seventh inning and surrendered Naylor’s two-run double. JoJo Romero, however, retired Brayan Rocchio on two pitches, preserving the one-run lead.
Cleveland’s fourth pitcher, Matt Festa, gave up Nolan Gorman’s leadoff single in the seventh before Church laced a run-scoring double to extend the Cardinals’ edge to 5-3.
Riley O’Brien posted his fifth save in as many opportunities with a perfect ninth.
Guardians vs Orioles pitching probables
The Akron Beacon Journal sports department can be contacted via email at bjsports@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians vs. Orioles live updates, score from opener of 3-game series
Reporting by Staff and wire reports, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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