Gavin Williams keeps putting himself in rare company, and Patrick Bailey got a front-row seat to the latest chapter.
Against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field on Sunday, Williams had the look of a pitcher who might run the table. A perfect game was in play.
A no-hitter was at least within reach. Neither one survived, but the way Williams has been working over the past month made the whole thing feel believable.
He finished with 10 strikeouts and one walk, making it the fifth straight outing in which he has piled up that many punchouts while issuing that few free passes. Only Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw have done that over such a long stretch in MLB history.
Bailey, the Guardians catcher, didn’t hide how impressive the assignment has been.
“He throws 100 with a 90 mph sweeper and a banger of a curveball. So it’s not really bad pitches to call, which makes my job a little easier.
But, man, he’s been dialed in. He’s been getting better and better over this last month,” Bailey said.
That’s not just a hot streak in the ordinary sense. Williams has also joined a historic list of pitchers who have managed 55 strikeouts with three or fewer walks over a five-game span. Corey Kluber is on that list too, after doing it for Cleveland in 2015.
The numbers since July 18 tell the story clearly. Williams was tagged for five runs by the Pittsburgh Pirates that day, even while striking out 11 and walking none. Since then, he has given up only two runs across his last three starts, while racking up 33 strikeouts and only two walks in 19.2 innings.
Sunday’s game ended up being a frustrating one for Cleveland beyond Williams’ outing. The Guardians offense could only manage a 5-0 win against Arizona, and Williams’ bid at perfection was broken in the sixth inning after a controversial bunt attempt, when Tim Tawa singled. He was done after 5.2 innings and did not return following a long rain delay.
It was the second time in the last month Williams had come that close to a perfect game. On July 9, he retired the first 13 Minnesota Twins hitters before Royce Lewis broke it up with a single, again after a bunt attempt. Williams finished that night with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
He’s scheduled to pitch again Saturday in a key AL Central matchup at the Chicago White Sox.
In Other News...
Guardians Infield Call-Up Just Raised Bigger Questions In Cleveland
The Guardians gave their infield a jolt by promoting Angel Genao from Triple-A Columbus for the game against the Mets, a move that speaks to both his rise in the organization and the urgency of Clevelands current roster picture. Genao has been performing well in the minors, and his arrival gives the club another option at a time when the middle infield has been under closer scrutiny than usual.
Gabriel Arias recent struggles have left the door open for change, and the timing of Genaos call-up only adds to the sense that Cleveland is looking for answers rather than simply filling a spot. There is also a wider cloud hanging over the lineup with Jose Ramirezs status, and even a short-term move like this can take on extra weight when the possibility of a bigger absence is part of the background. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Sent A Clear Message About This Season
Over two days, the Guardians signaled they were done waiting around for their roster to sort itself out. Cleveland swung multiple trades to bring in starter Foster Griffin, outfielder Jo Adell, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and reliever Craig Yoho, a clear push to add help on the mound, in the outfield, at first base and in the bullpen all at once.
The price was nine players, mostly prospects who did not rank among the organizations top 10, a calculated sacrifice that says plenty about where the Guardians think they are right now. Team president Chris Antonetti framed the approach as a bid to chase the Central Division title without losing sight of long-term competitiveness, but the real test will be whether this flurry of deals is enough to make the current roster look like a contender over the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Gabriel Arias Still Has One Thing The Guardians Clearly Value
The Guardians spent the trade deadline reshaping the roster, bringing in help and sending others out, but Gabriel Arias was one of the players who stayed put. In a month defined by movement, that mattered. Cleveland has continued to value Arias for the kind of defensive flexibility that lets a manager cover different spots without scrambling, and the front offices willingness to keep him around says plenty about the trust he has built inside the organization.
Petey Halpin has been part of that same broader theme, with the young player showing improvement and giving the Guardians useful defense as well. For a team trying to balance immediate upgrades with internal development, those kinds of players carry real weight. The deadline brought more attention to the newcomers, but Arias role is a reminder that Cleveland still leans hard on versatility and reliability when it decides who fits. [Read more 🡒]