Gavin Williams' perfect game bid leads to benches-clearing altercation between Guardians and Diamondbacks

The Cleveland Guardians went from watching starter Gavin Williams spell from pitching a cleanable crippled to a benches-clearing altercation successful the substance of moments astatine Progressive Field connected Sunday.

Williams was humming to commencement this contest, striking retired 10 of the archetypal 15 hitters helium faced, and arsenic the apical of the sixth began, helium was looking astatine a cleanable crippled bid.

But things got absorbing erstwhile Arizona Diamondbacks halfway fielder Tim Tawa attempted a bunt connected a 0-1 transportation from Williams successful the frame. In the unwritten rules of baseball, bunting portion a pitcher is throwing a cleanable crippled is precise overmuch frowned upon.

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Ildemaro Vargas of the Arizona Diamondbacks argues with Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt during the sixth inning astatine Progressive Field successful Cleveland, Ohio, connected Aug. 2, 2026. (Getty Images)

Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey took exception, having words with Tawa earlier the right-handed hitter stepped backmost successful the box.

In the end, though, Tawa served a azygous to close tract and ended some the cleanable crippled and no-hit bid for Williams.

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Just a fewer pitches later, rainfall successful the Cleveland country started coming down successful buckets. After Williams threw a brutal chaotic pitch, umpires called a rainfall delay, arsenic the grounds unit came sprinting retired with the tarp.

But arsenic the tarp was inactive unfurling, some dugouts were connected the tract and adjacent location sheet arsenic an statement broke out. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was seen walking retired of the dugout with gait to intelligibly accidental thing to the different side, and that sparked the scrum adjacent the dish.

While it was wide some teams were screaming immoderate unkind words toward each other, thing escalated into a carnal altercation betwixt the 2 teams. It tin beryllium implied that Vogt took objection to Tawa’s bunt attempt, but it’s chartless what helium said precisely toward the D-Backs.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo separates Cleveland Guardians 3rd basal and infield manager Rouglas Odor arsenic benches wide during the sixth inning of an interleague crippled Aug. 2, 2026, astatine Progressive Field successful Cleveland, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)

Then again, the different broadside of the statement is immoderate hitter tin effort to scope basal however they spot fit. If it’s a 450-foot location run, oregon a bunt single, that’s the batter’s right.

But erstwhile the Guardians were facing the Minnesota Twins connected July 9, Williams was besides successful a cleanable crippled script erstwhile Royce Lewis showed bunt during an at-bat. He would yet deed a azygous similar Tawa did to extremity the bid.

When the rainfall hold yet ended, and some teams cooled the tension, the Guardians continued to predominate with a 5-0 triumph astatine home. The Diamondbacks were lone capable to muster 1 deed aft Tawa’s single, portion the Guardians tallied 8 hits connected the day.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams walks to the dugout during a rainfall hold successful the sixth inning of an interleague crippled against the Arizona Diamondbacks connected Aug. 2, 2026, astatine Progressive Field successful Cleveland, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)

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Rookie Chase DeLauter went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, portion Bailey crushed a location tally successful his 1-for-3 time astatine the plate.

Williams ne'er made it backmost into the crippled aft the rainfall delay, finishing his time with 5.2 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, 1 deed and 1 locomotion allowed.

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