Guardians' Gavin Williams can't snap longest no-hitter drought in MLB in near-miss vs. Mets

Not a single player on the Cleveland Guardians was born the last time it had happened. For that matter, neither was manager Stephen Vogt.

And they didn't quite get to see it change on Wednesday, either. Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams made a 25-out bid at a no-hitter in Queens against the New York Mets, but he couldn't get the final two outs. Juan Soto spoiled it with a home run.

The near-miss extended the longest active no-hitter drought in Major League Baseball. The Cleveland franchise hasn't put up a zero in the opponent's hit column since 1981, when Len Barker threw a perfect game.

The man on the mound on this special-but-not-quite-special-enough afternoon: Gavin Williams, the strong right-hander they call "Big Rig."

Williams walked three, but no Mets batter managed a hit off of him through eight innings.

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He didn't make it that far without help.

In the bottom of the seventh, Mark Vientos blooped a soft liner toward shallow right field.

On this day, Cleveland started rookie C.J. Kayfus out there. Nominally a first baseman, Kayfus has played some outfield in the minors, and that's the best spot to get his bat into the Guardians' lineup currently.

On this occasion, Kayfus' glove was what was needed, and he sprinted in for a diving catch to keep the no-no alive.

C.J. Kayfus on the dive to keep the no-hit bid alive! pic.twitter.com/YBmGsNAtGu

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There was some question as to whether Williams would come out for the ninth, already at 111 pitches, but he came out to the mound despite his previous career-high in pitches being 109. Off days mean he wasn't scheduled to pitch until a week from this game, so he had a few extra bullets to use.

It wouldn't come easy.

The Mets sent Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso to the plate in the bottom of the ninth as Cleveland clung to a 4-0 lead.

Williams had to get through three superstars for the no-hitter.

The big righty struck out Lindor swinging on a nasty 1-2 curveball.

But Soto ruined it with two outs to go, a solo home run to dead centerfield.

So close, and such a brilliant outing, but not enough to end the long drought.

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