The Cleveland Guardians picked up where they left off before the All-Star break.
Pitcher Gavin Williams dominated the Athletics in his most productive performance of the season, which was a much-needed bounce-back win after some control issues in his previous start.
Williams posted a season-high 11 strikeouts. He also matched his career-high with seven innings of work.
Gavin Williams strikes out a season-high 11 batters 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GiasEM5iCL
— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2025
However, perhaps the most positive takeaway was that he only walked one batter in the win.
Williams led MLB in walks (57) before the All-Star break.
His ERA now sits at 3.54 in 104.1 innings and 20 starts.
Williams has shown glimpses of dominance in the past, and he has more than enough in his repertoire to force weak contact and whiffs, but he needs to address his control issues to finally find some consistency.
The Guardians need as much help as they can get the rest of the season.
They will face plenty of sub-.500 teams, and while there will be some cold stretches here and there, every single outing will be like a Game 7 from now on.
They’re not that far behind in the AL Wild Card race, and having Williams keeping his control issues in check will be huge for the team’s success.
Ace Shane Bieber is inching closer to his return, and if the offense continues its surge after a dreadful June, the Guardians have a legitimate chance to reach the playoffs again.
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