“You can’t ask for much more than that." That's what Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said following a dominant performance from starting pitcher Parker Messick. On Tuesday, June 23, Messick tossed a gem for the Guardians in a road matchup against the Chicago White Sox. While he wasn't able to help the Guardians sneak out a victory, falling 2-1, he did do everything he could to set the offense up for success. He finished the night pitching through 7.2 innings on 95 pitches, giving up just three hits, two earned runs and one walk. But while those numbers alone are impressive, adding in 10 strikeouts shows just how dominant and efficient he was on the mound. That strikeout count is a new career-best for the 25-year-old.“That was really special," Vogt continued postgame. "I mean, obviously quick, efficient, kept his pitch count down, really kept him off really from doing anything. Obviously, they manufactured the one run… the home run..."The left-handed rookie showcased some of his best stuff, flashing a fastball in the bottom of the seventh inning that was clocked at 97.6 mph. That came just a series after he set a previous career high of 95.9 mph in an outing against the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only did he top his own mark just a few days later, but he also reached that impressive velocity deep into the game, highlighting his stamina and longevity. He would go out and pitch in the eighth inning, getting through two more batters, getting them back to the dugout with groundouts, before he was relieved by Colin Holderman. When asked about being taken out of the contest, Messick said that he would have loved to stay in the contest, but understood the decision with the game being within a run. “The competitor in me wants to always have that last guy, always get that last out,” he said. “But Vogter made the right call, as always, and Holdy got the job done. It was not me thinking like, ‘Oh, I need to get this guy.' I just want to compete, and that guy got me, so I wanted more than anything to get him back. Luckily, they're in the division, so we're gonna play them a bunch more.”He capped off his night with 17 swings generated by his four-seamer and 15 from his changeup. Those pitches accounted for all 10 strikeouts, with him recording 14 Whiffs along the way as well. Throughout the season, Messick's pitching arsenal has continued to evolve. As he has grown more comfortable throwing his changeup, he's been able to generate more velocity with his fastball. He has now thrown 456 four-seam fastballs and 360 changeups, showcasing the growing confidence he has in both pitches.Although the Guardians have now officially lost the series against the White Sox, Cleveland can still take a positive away that Messick's game remains sharp, and his path to being named the American League Rookie of the Year is still alive. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow