Gavin Williams needed a win. He got one — and wrote his name into the Guardians’ record books while he was at it.
On July 9, 2026 at Target Field, Williams retired Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, and Josh Bell on exactly nine pitches, all strikes, in the fourth inning. Cleveland won 5-2, and Williams picked up his first victory since June 3. It was the fifth immaculate inning in Guardians franchise history and only the second in MLB during the 2026 season.
Nine Pitches, Zero Doubt
An immaculate inning requires three strikeouts on nine pitches — every single one a strike. No balls, no wasted pitches, no margin for error. Williams got there with five swinging strikes, two called strikes, and two foul balls that counted within his nine. Buxton, Jeffers, and Bell — three right-handed hitters — never had a chance in that inning. Coming in the fourth with Cleveland already ahead, it effectively buried any Minnesota comeback hopes.
The Afternoon Williams Had Been Waiting For
Context matters here. Williams had gone five straight starts without a win, and questions had quietly crept back in. He posted a 4.86 ERA in 2024, broke through with a 3.06 ERA in 2025, and now, in July 2026, the winless stretch was starting to feel like a storyline again.
He answered with one of the best outings of his career: 7 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 runs allowed, 11 strikeouts. It was his fourth game this season with 10 or more strikeouts — a mark no Cleveland pitcher had reached before the All-Star break since Shane Bieber did it six times in 2021.
The win also moved Williams into a tie with Boston’s Sonny Gray for the American League lead with 10 victories, a career-best for both pitchers.
Cleveland’s offense did its part early. Gabriel Arias put the Guardians on the board in the second inning with a 442-foot home run at 110.8 mph exit velocity — the kind of ball that makes a lead feel safe. But the story of this game belonged to the guy on the mound.
A Very Short List
Only 96 pitchers have ever thrown an immaculate inning in MLB history, across 104 total occurrences. Sandy Koufax and Chris Sale hold the record with three each. Williams now joins that exclusive club, and within the Guardians’ own history, he follows:
- Justin Masterson (2014)
- Carlos Carrasco (2017)
- Zach Plesac (2020)
- Enyel De Los Santos (2022)
The immaculate inning is rare enough that it stays with you long after the final score is forgotten. Gavin Williams threw one on July 9. The name is in the books.
