Dominant Gavin Williams Sends Guardians Home With A Winning Record

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Dodger Stadium on April 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Getty Images Thanks to brilliant pitching by Gavin Williams, the Cleveland Guardians will face their Friday, April 3 home opener with a winning, 4-3 record. Williams dominated the Dodgers in the game.

The Guardians will face the Chicago Cubs in what is projected to be pleasant weather in downtown Cleveland. But on the opening season road trip, Gavin Williams was brilliant in his second start of the season for the Guardians. The 6-6, 250 pound Williams threw seven, two-hit, shutout innings against the vaunted Los Angels Dodgers on Wednesday, April 1.

The Guardians defeated the Dodgers 4-1, to win the series, two games to one. Williams got the win, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto, an ace of the Dodgers rotation, took the loss. Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) smiles while heading back to the dugout during the eight inning of a MLB game against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Freddie Freeman broke up the shutout with a loud home run on a fastball to dead center field off Guardians closer Cade Smith in the 9th inning. The right-handed Williams, 26, was coming off an opening week start that saw him struggle mightily with command and control against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle. Williams went five innings in that first start, yielding two hits, and three earned runs to the Mariners.