Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams joined an exclusive trio with his performance in Sundays 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Williams notched 10 strikeouts with 1 walk in 5 2/3 innings. It was his fifth consecutive start with 10 or more strikeouts and only 1 walk, making him the third pitcher in MLB history to put together such a streak. Clayton Kershaw had a streak of six such starts in 2016 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chris Sale had five straight 10K/1 BB games when he pitched for the Boston Red Sox, according to MLB.coms Sarah Langs. Gavin Williams now has 10+ strikeouts in each of his last five starts! pic.twitter.com/p0oZ1azkkL Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) August 2, 2026Following Sundays effort, Williams has a 3.56 ERA and 11-6 record with 178 strikeouts in 139 innings. Williams also became the second pitcher in six seasons to have five straight games with 10-plus strikeouts, joining Shohei Ohtani in 2022. His five-game run included recording an immaculate inning during his July 23 start versus the Minnesota Twins. However, Williams achievement was overshadowed by one of baseballs longtime debates.Breaking one of baseballs unwritten rulesSundays game also came with some additional spice as Williams took a perfect game into the sixth inning. Diamondbacks center fielder Tim Tawa attempted to get his teams first hit of the game with a bunt. The attempt went foul, but Tawas intention violated one of baseballs unwritten rules and the Guardians were upset about it. Benches clear in the pouring rain after Dbacks Tim Tawa tried to break up Gavin Williams perfect game with a bunt pic.twitter.com/gWQjW59XYn Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 2, 2026Both catcher Patrick Bailey and shortstop Brayan Rocchio complained to Tawa about trying to break up Williams perfect game with a bunt. That became a moot point on the next pitch when Tawa hit a sweeper in the middle of the strike zone for a single. Williams retired Ildemaro Vargas on a groundout and struck out Tyler Locklear as rain began to fall heavily at Progressive Field. The conditions became more difficult while Williams got ahead of Corbin Carroll on a one-ball, two-strikes count, but then threw three consecutive pitches far out of the strike zone, the third being a wild pitch. With more rain falling and the field becoming soaked, umpires called for the grounds crew to roll out the tarp and cover the infield. As the tarp was being secured, Guardians third-base coach Rouglas Odor, manager Stephen Vogt and several players revisited the issue of Tawas bunt attempt and both dugouts emptied onto the field. The benches cleared as the grounds crew was putting the tarp on the field because the Guardians were pissed the Diamondbacks attempted a bunt to end Gavin Williams perfect game pic.twitter.com/BtozFJSj1W Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) August 2, 2026Vogt and D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo could be seen arguing about the bunt at home plate as a scrum gathered around them. No scuffles developed, though coaches and players were being held back by teammates, and the game went into a rain delay. Whether or not a team being held hitless should attempt to get that first hit with a bunt has been one of baseballs longtime debates. Traditionalists say bunting in that situation violates an unwritten rule. Others argue that a hitters job is to get on base. If that means laying down a bunt to get a hit, so be it. At least twice in MLB history, a perfect game was broken up by a bunt single. In 2017, Ben Davis of the San Diego Padres bunted to end Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schillings perfect game in the eighth inning. Jarrod Dyson broke up Justin Verlanders perfect game in the sixth during a 2017 game between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.This argument ignited in 2019 when Ben Bowden of the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats took a combined no-hitter into the ninth inning. Down 3-0, the Trenton Thunders Matt Lipka laid down a bunt with one out for a single. That was Trentons only hit of the game and after the final out, both benches emptied onto the field to dispute the matter. After that game, MLB.coms Matt Kelly and David Adler asked 30 major-leaguers whether a bunt to break up a no-hitter or perfect game was acceptable. Opinions were nearly split down the middle with 14 players saying it was a fair tactic and 16 saying it violated a baseball code. That debate can now continue after the uproar in Cleveland.