In addition to baseball’s longest World Series championship drought, the Cleveland Guardians own baseball’s longest no-hitter drought, and that will last for another day.
Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams came two outs shy of the club’s first no-hitter since 1981 Wednesday, giving up only a home run to New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. After inducing a flyout from first baseman Pete Alonso and walking left fielder Brandon Nimmo, Williams was lifted in favor of pitcher Hunter Gaddis.
In a spectacle nearly as rare as a no-hitter, Mets fans rewarded Williams with a standing ovation as he walked off the mound.
Gavin Williams receives a nice ovation from the crowd in Queens after coming just two outs away from a no-hitter 👏 pic.twitter.com/UdHDCpizVC
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Gaddis retired designated hitter Mark Vientos to preserve his team’s 4–1 victory, which brought Cleveland within a game of the American League’s final wild-card playoff spot. Williams took the win, his seventh on the season.
A no-hitter, however, will have to wait for another day.
