CLEVELAND — Benches cleared Sunday at Progressive Field after Arizona Diamondbacks utility man Tim Tawa bunted for a base hit against Cleveland Guardians starter Gavin Williams in the sixth inning, ending Williams' perfect game bid and setting off a confrontation that escalated during a rain delay.
Williams was working on a perfect game when Tawa attempted a bunt for a base hit. The ball went foul. Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey removed his mask and exchanged words with Tawa. Shortstop Brayan Rocchio also voiced his displeasure from the field.
Tawa singled to right field on the next pitch, ending the perfect game. A rain delay followed shortly after, and as the grounds crew covered the field, third base coach Rouglas Odor confronted Tawa near home plate. Both benches cleared. Players from both sides gathered at home plate, with yelling, pushing and shoving — but no punches thrown.
Williams was measured after the game. "I don't really have any reaction. It is what it is," Williams said. "I don't really care. My job is to get outs, and that's what I'm trying to do." Williams said he did not speak to Tawa on the field.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo backed his player without hesitation. "I'm totally fine with him bunting in the sixth inning of a game," Lovullo said. Tawa had asked for permission to bunt, and the coaching staff approved. Lovullo acknowledged that Cleveland clearly took exception.
Cleveland held a 5-0 lead at the time of the bunt attempt. The Diamondbacks are in a wild-card race, and Tawa's job was to get on base.
The Guardians won 5-0. Williams struck out 10 and allowed only Tawa's single in five and two-thirds innings. It was his fifth consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts and his eighth such outing this season. Jacob Misiorowski leads the league with 11 double-digit strikeout games. Shohei Ohtani had six consecutive such games in 2022.
With the win, Cleveland improved to 57-56 and holds the third AL wild-card spot, trailing the Chicago White Sox by three games in the AL Central. Arizona fell to 59-53 and sits in the NL's second wild-card spot, one game ahead of the next team in line.
