NEW YORK — Two hard-hit comebackers in the first inning Wednesday afternoon had Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams worrying about the direction his start would take against the New York Mets.
Instead, the 26-year-old right-hander nearly made history.
Williams came within two outs of Cleveland’s first no-hitter in 44 years before Juan Soto homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and Hunter Gaddis finished the combined one-hitter in the Guardians’ 4-1 win at Citi Field.
“Man, it was that close,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “I thought he was going to get it.”
Williams wasn’t thinking no-hitter after an eventful first inning. Francisco Lindor’s 107.2 mph liner on Williams’ second pitch knocked off his glove — he scrambled for the loose ball and threw out the former Cleveland star — before Williams snared another liner by Pete Alonso for the final out of the frame.