Messick to Start ALCS Game 2 at The Trop, Where He Once Watched as a Fan
Listen to the story
Parker Messick, a starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, will take the mound for Game 2 of the ALCS at Tropicana Field, also known as The Trop.
The ALCS, or American League Championship Series, decides which team moves on to the World Series, baseball's biggest final.
What makes this moment special is that Messick was once just a fan sitting in the stands at The Trop. Now he returns there as a professional player ready to pitch.
The Guardians are facing the Tampa Bay Rays in this series. Cleveland won Game 1 with a strong performance, beating the Rays by a score of 7-3.
The Rays have named Griffin Jax as their starting pitcher for Game 3. That game will move to Cleveland's home stadium.
Starting pitchers play a key role in deciding who wins close playoff series. Fans and analysts will watch closely to see how both Messick and Jax perform in their games.
This series is part of the long road through the playoffs that both teams must win to reach the World Series.
For Messick personally, pitching at the same stadium where he once cheered as a spectator adds an emotional layer to this high-pressure postseason matchup.
Vocabulary5 words
- starting pitcher
- the player who throws the first pitches in a game
- ALCS
- a series of games that decides one finalist in baseball
- World Series
- the final and biggest event in baseball each year
- score
- the final number of points each team earns
- playoffs
- games teams play to see who is the best
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. He used to watch games there as a fan 2. Griffin Jax 3. Cleveland won 7-3
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Parker Messick, a _____ pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, will take the mound for Game 2 of the ALCS.
The game will be played at Tropicana Field, also known as The _____.
The ALCS decides which team moves on to the _____.
Messick was once just a _____ sitting in the stands at The Trop.
The Guardians are facing the Tampa Bay _____ in this series.
Cleveland won Game 1 with a score of _____.
The Rays have named Griffin _____ as their starting pitcher for Game 3.
That game will move to Cleveland's home _____.
Starting pitchers play a key role in deciding who wins close _____ series.
This series is part of the long road through the _____.
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
More Sports stories
Next story · Medium
Russia Arrests Japanese Journalist on Spying Charges