A bunt, a perfect game bid and a tarp: How Diamondbacks-Guardians tensions boiled over

During a Sunday, August 2, 2026 MLB game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians, tensions arose when Diamondbacks player Tim Tawa attempted a bunt in the sixth inning while Cleveland pitcher Gavin Williams had a perfect game bid in progress. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who has nearly 40 years of professional baseball experience, defended Tawa's decision as acceptable despite some viewing it as a violation of the sport's unwritten rules. The incident, along with a tarp-related event, caused notable friction between the two teams.