CLEVELAND(AP) — Gavin Williams allowed one hit in 5 2/3 innings and struck out 10, Chase DeLauter drove in three runs and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 Sunday to avoid being swept in a weekend series.
Williams joined Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw as the only pitchers in MLB history to strike out at least 10 and walk one or fewer in at least five straight games.
Patrick Bailey snapped an 0-for-13 skid with a home run in the second inning off Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (8-9).
Williams (11-6) retired the first 15 batters he faced before Tim Tawa led off the sixth with a base hit to right. Tawa tried to bunt on the previous pitch but fouled it off, which drew plenty of criticism from the Guardians.
When the tarp came out with two outs in the sixth inning, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and third-base coach Rouglas Odor charged from the dugout and began exchanging words with Diamondbacks players and coaches. The benches emptied for both teams, but calm was restored a couple minutes later.
The game resumed after an hour, 34-minute rain delay.
Arizona had the bases loaded in the sixth and ninth innings but couldn’t get any runs.
Williams has double-digit strikeouts in five straight games, the longest run by a Cleveland pitcher since Shane Bieber had a six-game run in 2020-21. Williams has eight games with at least 10 strikeouts this season, which leads the American League.
The right-hander struck out six of the first nine hitters he faced, including five straight in the second and third innings.
DeLauter lined a RBI single up the middle in the second to extend Cleveland’s lead to 2-0. The rookie right fielder then had a two-run double in the fifth to make it 4-0. DeLauter scored on Kyle Manzardo’s base hit.
Kelly allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out five in five innings.
