History has a way of repeating itself, and Gavin Williams knows that all too well. Nearly a year ago, in the same month, Williams faced the New York Mets and came within two outs of throwing Cleveland’s first no-hitter in 44 years. Then came Juan Soto’s home run, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt couldn’t help but point out just how close Williams had come. A similar scene unfolded at Progressive Field on Sunday, when the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in the series finale.

“Benches clear in the pouring rain after Dbacks Tim Tawa tried to break up Gavin Williams’ perfect game with a bunt,” Talkin’ Baseball posted on X.

Gavin Williams took the mound and retired his first 15 batters without allowing a hit. With that, the 27-year-old was well on his way to recording a perfect game. But then came the sixth inning and Tim Tawa’s at-bat. The Diamondbacks outfielder refused to let Williams cruise through the lineup. Tawa attempted to lay down a bunt, effectively ending Williams’ perfect-game bid.

His decision frustrated Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey and shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who exchanged words with him. One out later, Corbin Carroll reached first after advancing on a wild pitch. The umpires then called for a rain delay. As the play came to a halt, the benches cleared as players from both teams gathered near home plate following the confrontation.

When Tim Tawa led off the sixth inning on Sunday, Williams had not allowed a hit or a run to Arizona. He had struck out nine of the 15 batters he had retired before Tawa stepped to the plate. Tawa opened the at-bat with a foul bunt attempt, much to the Guardians’ displeasure. On the next pitch, he lined a clean single, ending Williams’ perfect-game bid. Williams finished his outing having allowed just one hit over 5.2 innings while posting nine strikeouts. His ERA rose to 3.56.

It is not the first time that Williams’ perfect game bid was broken by the opponent. On July 9, the Twins’ Royce Lewis fouled off a bunt in the fifth. Then he hit a single to end his chance at a perfect game.

On Sunday, now a few pitches later, Tawa was forced out at second base as Ildemaro Vargas grounded to third. The game entered a rain delay soon after. It caused the benches to clear as manager Stephen Vogt came out of the dugout, wanting to speak to Torey Lovullo. As both teams gathered, it quickly turned into a series of pushing and shoving on the field. However, Vogt made it clear that he was not bothered by the bunt and just wanted to talk to Lovullo at the time.

“When things happen on the baseball field, tempers can flare sometimes,” Vogt told MLB.com. “I was upset just because there were people talking to our players that shouldn’t be. So that was what my grief was about.”

As the two teams clashed, crew chief Lance Barksdale finally intervened. Not to tell off players, but to break them up so that the Cleveland groundsmen can roll the tarp in to prevent the diamond from turning into one large puddle.

Following Sunday’s incidents, Lovullo shared his own opinion on the bunt that displeased the Guardians players.

Torey Lovullo fine with Tawa’s bunt attempt

Among the unwritten rules of baseball, one is not to try to break up a perfect game with a bunt. Tim Tawa did just that, which the Guardians did not like. After the game, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo shared his own opinion about the bunt attempt.

“Not even close for me,” Lovullo reportedly said. “I’ve had this discussion with Stephen Vogt before when he was in our dugout as a player. I play it clean, and you can do basically anything in between the white lines for six innings. And then after that, you’ve got to be careful. It’s either black or white for me. I don’t like gray stuff.”

Lovullo further revealed that Tawa had asked beforehand if he could bunt, and the clubhouse agreed.

“Timmy asked if he could bunt. We all checked off on it and said absolutely. And they clearly took exception to that,” Lovullo said.

Tim Tawa did not do anything illegal, but the unwritten rules have a way of affecting the game’s spirit.