BOSTON — The first-place Cleveland Guardians edged the Boston Red Sox 3-2 on Tuesday night at Fenway Park for their sixth straight victory, winning a duel between two of the American League's best rookie starters, Parker Messick and Payton Tolle, to move closer to a postseason berth while maintaining their lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
Messick was not at his sharpest but battled through five innings. He allowed at least one hit in each of the first four innings before working a 1-2-3 fifth, striking out Nick Sogard to end his night. Relying on a fastball-changeup combination and mixing in a late slider to keep hitters off balance, he allowed one earned run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. “I think we’ve seen, game-to-game, my arsenal is going to be a little different depending on the lineup and what they are good at and bad at,” Messick explained. “This team had a really good approach, and they did a good job fighting with me, getting into deep counts.” It was his 14th consecutive start allowing three earned runs or fewer and his 10th allowing one or fewer, lowering his ERA to 2.55 — the third-lowest mark in the AL among qualified starters — in what will likely be his last regular-season start as Cleveland pieces together its playoff rotation. “I could have another [start] in five days, could have another one in six, seven days, or not for another ten or however many it is,” Messick said. “I’m just going to get myself ready like I always do every week and be ready to go and take care of business.” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt added: “Parker continues to be consistent. He didn’t have his best stuff or command tonight but found a way. They made him work. They made him throw a lot of pitches. To go five innings, one run, I can’t ask for anything more from him.”
Cleveland scored twice in the second against Tolle on David Fry’s RBI single and a run-scoring double play. Tolle allowed only two runs over 5 2/3 innings. The Guardians stranded a season-high 15 runners, with two additional chances snuffed out at home in the third and seventh innings on ground balls against a drawn-in Boston infield. The Red Sox tied it in the eighth when pinch-hitter Mickey Gasper hit the first pitch he saw from Hunter Gaddis for his 10th homer of the season. “[Gasper] jumped on the slider, hit it good, it got out,” Gaddis said. “I've still got to finish my job as best as possible. … To answer right away, that’s really big.” After Gaddis finished the frame, Nathaniel Lowe’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth scored Chase DeLauter to put Cleveland ahead to stay at 3-2.
Cade Smith pitched around a one-out walk in the ninth to record his 40th save, becoming just the seventh Cleveland pitcher to reach 40 saves in a season, joining Emmanuel Clase (2022-24), Joe Borowski (2007), Bob Wickman (2005), Jose Mesa (1995), Doug Jones (1990) and Mike Jackson (1998). Smith is the third Canadian to reach the 40-save mark, alongside Eric Gagne (2002-04) and John Axford (2011).