Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams was denied his shot at history. He was on the cusp of throwing a no-hitter against the New York Mets until Juan Soto hit a home run in the 9th inning.
Nevertheless, the Guardians defeated the Mets 4-1.
As a result, the Guardians remain without a no-hitter since 1981, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press. He finished with six strikeouts in 8.2 innings pitched.
Also, Williams has a record of 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA and 123 strikeouts. The Guardians are now 59-55 and are six games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers.
On May 15, 1981, Cleveland pitcher Len Barker threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays. He finished with 11 strikeouts.
Since 2023, Williams has been with the Guardians. He has an overall record of 13-19 and a 3.66 ERA and 263 strikeouts.
Furthermore, he's developed into a pitcher with depth. Williams has added a cutter to his pitching arsenal in addition to a curveball, slider, and four-seam fastball.
Recently, Williams hasn't allowed three or more runs in six starts. Also, the Guardians are still looking to contend for a playoff spot.
Williams has been able to fill the void left behind by injured Guardians starters. Ben Lively is out for the rest of the season due to a UCL tear. John Means is on the 60-day IL after undergoing elbow surgery.
While Williams wasn't able to be on par with Barker, he is in the company of another fellow Cleveland fireballer.
The other time a Guardian pitcher came close to a no-hitter
The last time a Guardians pitcher was on the brink of a no-hitter was in 2015 with Carlos Carrasco.
That year, Carrasco was one strike away against the Tampa Bay Rays in an 8-1 victory. However, Joey Butler hit a single to right field that dashed those hopes.
Over the course of MLB history, there have been 326 no-hitters.
