Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher Gavin Williams delivered a historic performance on Thursday, July 23, 2026, recording the fifth immaculate inning in franchise history.
Williams struck out the side on nine pitches during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins, retiring Byron Buxton, Ryan Jeffers, and Josh Bell in order.
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He used five swinging strikes, two called strikes, and two foul balls to complete the frame efficiently.
Historic Feat
The immaculate inning is the second in Major League Baseball this season, following Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Michael Soroka's nine-pitch inning against the Detroit Tigers on March 30.
After the third out, third baseman José Ramírez nearly threw the historic ball into the stands, but catcher Patrick Bailey intervened to alert him to keep the baseball.
Williams finished his outing with 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings, surrendering zero runs on 97 pitches.
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He led Cleveland to a 1-0 advantage before being replaced in the eighth inning.
The effort marked the third consecutive start in which Williams registered at least 11 strikeouts, as well as his second double-digit strikeout performance against Minnesota this month alone.
Prior to Williams, the last Cleveland pitcher to accomplish the feat was Enyel De Los Santos in September 2022 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Zach Plesac in 2020, Carlos Carrasco in 2017, and Justin Masterson in 2014 account for the other immaculate innings in franchise history.
