Cleveland Guardians’ perfect game bid sparks bench-clearing scrum

The Cleveland Guardians went from watching starter Gavin Williams go from pitching a perfect game to a benches-clearing altercation in the matter of moments at Progressive Field on Sunday.

Williams was humming to start this contest, striking out 10 of the first 15 hitters he faced, and as the top of the sixth began, he was looking at a perfect game bid.

But things got interesting when Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Tim Tawa attempted a bunt on a 0-1 pitch from Williams in the frame. In the unwritten rules of baseball, bunting while a pitcher is throwing a perfect game is very much frowned upon.

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

Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey took exception, having words with Tawa before the right-handed hitter stepped back in the box.

In the end, though, Tawa served a single to right field and ended both the perfect game and no-hit bid for Williams.

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Just a few pitches later, rain in the Cleveland area started coming down in buckets. After Williams threw a brutal wild pitch, umpires called a rain delay, as the grounds crew came sprinting out with the tarp.

But as the tarp was still unfurling, both dugouts were on the field and near home plate as an argument broke out. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was seen walking out of the dugout with pace to clearly say something to the other side, and that sparked the scrum near the dish.

While it was clear both teams were screaming some unkind words toward each other, nothing escalated into a physical altercation between the two teams. It can be implied that Vogt took exception to Tawa’s bunt attempt, but it’s unknown what he said exactly toward the D-Backs.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo separates Cleveland Guardians third base and infield coach Rouglas Odor as benches clear during the sixth inning of an interleague game Aug. 2, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)

Then again, the other side of the argument is any hitter can attempt to reach base how they see fit. If it’s a 450-foot home run, or a bunt single, that’s the batter’s right.

But when the Guardians were facing the Minnesota Twins on July 9, Williams was also in a perfect game scenario when Royce Lewis showed bunt during an at-bat. He would eventually hit a single like Tawa did to end the bid.

When the rain delay finally ended, and both teams cooled the tension, the Guardians continued to dominate with a 5-0 victory at home. The Diamondbacks were only able to muster one hit after Tawa’s single, while the Guardians tallied eight hits on the day.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams walks to the dugout during a rain delay in the sixth inning of an interleague game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 2, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. (Icon Sportswire)

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Rookie Chase DeLauter went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Bailey crushed a home run in his 1-for-3 day at the plate.

Williams never made it back into the game after the rain delay, finishing his day with 5.2 innings pitched, 10 strikeouts, one hit and one walk allowed.

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