Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt named left-hander Parker Messick as the Game 2 ALCS starter against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, sending the 25-year-old back to his hometown area to face a Tampa Bay lineup in a series already shaped by heavy bullpen use. Messick, a Tampa Bay native, will match up against right-hander Freddy Peralta, who the Rays acquired at midseason.
The decision gives Cleveland a pitcher with local ties and a recent track record of success in front of familiar faces. Messick has made two starts this season in front of hometown friends and family, allowing just one run in each outing, according to ESPN.
The Main Development: Messick Gets The Ball In Game 2
Vogt’s choice of Messick as the Parker Messick ALCS Game 2 starter puts the left-hander on the mound roughly 45 minutes from Tropicana Field, where he attended the 2008 World Series as a fan of the Rays growing up. Foster Griffin will start Game 1 for Cleveland, with Messick following in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Guardians bench coach or manager commentary on the matchup included a direct nod to Messick’s recent home-area starts. “He’s had two straight very good starts here in front of his family and friends,” Vogt said, according to ESPN. “It’s always a special boost when you get to play at home as a player.”
What It Means: A Rotation Piece In A Bullpen-Heavy October
Messick enters the ALCS as one of the more statistically proven arms on Cleveland’s staff. He posted 4.9 fWAR during the regular season, trailing only Drew Rasmussen’s 5.0 fWAR among the American League’s top starters, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
That track record carries added weight given how Cleveland got through the ALDS. The Guardians used seven pitchers in one win over the White Sox and eight in another, with Messick throwing just 65 pitches over 2 1/3 innings in his Game 4 start before Gavin Williams closed out that game in relief and then started Game 5, striking out 12 over 5 2/3 innings.
Context: Roster Moves Reflect A Taxed Staff
Cleveland played three games in four days during the ALDS, a workload that led the club to add pitching depth for the ALCS. The Guardians swapped right-hander Slade Cecconi onto the roster in place of utility player Daniel Schneemann, trading a position-player spot for bullpen coverage, according to MLB.com. Cleveland had carried 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the division series against the White Sox.
The opponent Messick draws is also coming off a short series. Peralta went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA over five starts in September after Tampa Bay acquired him, and he has not faced Cleveland this season. The Rays swept the New York Yankees in three games in the ALDS, leaving their pitching staff rested heading into Game 2. Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez is expected to start Game 3 for Tampa Bay on Thursday.
What’s Next
Foster Griffin opens the ALCS for Cleveland in Game 1 before Messick takes the ball against Peralta in Game 2 on Tuesday. Game 3 shifts the series with Martinez projected as Tampa Bay’s starter on Thursday.
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