Everything seemed to be aligned for Gavin Williams to write his name in the history books of MLB with 126 pitches and eight and one-third innings without allowing a hit, the young Cleveland Guardians pitcher was about to achieve his first solo no-hitter of the 2025 season. The crowd at Citi Field held its breath with every pitch, his fastball was still alive, he looked solid and with confidence intact.
But suddenly, the story took a drastic turn when Juan Soto appeared in the batter’s box. The New York Mets’ Dominican slugger, known for his poise in critical moments, hit a monumental home run with a 1-0 count, sending the ball beyond Angel Martinez’s glove to center field. Thus, Williams’ dream was shattered with a single swing that erased eight perfect innings of dominance.
Juan Soto breaks up no-hitter and hits his 26th home run against the New York Mets
Juan Soto’s hit not only ruined the no-hitter attempt, but it was the only run the Mets managed to score in the entire game. It was his 26th home run of the season, a display of power and precision that has made him one of the most feared bats in Major League Baseball. Although the Guardians ended up with a 4-1 victory, the taste was bittersweet for their starter, who saw his feat slip away.
Manager Stephen Vogt had gambled on keeping Williams on the mound despite having a very high pitch count, however, the gamble was interrupted by Juan Soto, a hitter who became the villain who ended what could have been historic.
The no-hitter curse in Cleveland continues since 1981
With this frustrated attempt, the Guardians still have not thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game in 1981. And at the Major League level, the wait for the first no-hitter of 2025 continues since Blake Snell achieved it in August 2024 with the San Francisco Giants. Gavin Williams came closer than anyone else, but history slipped from his grasp.
Even so, the right-hander’s performance was remarkable with 8 2/3 innings, six strikeouts, just one hit and an ERA of 3.17, the best of his young career. The image of Juan Soto running the bases while William looked at the sky could be one of the most memorable postcards of this season.
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