CLEVELAND, Ohio - Foster Griffin didn’t just answer the call Wednesday. He slammed the door on it.
After sitting for eight days, the left-hander stepped into the biggest moment of his major league career and turned in a postseason relief outing that will sit near the top of Cleveland’s record book. Griffin struck out seven over 2 2/3 innings in the Guardians’ 9-3 win over the White Sox in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Rate Field, and his work helped spark a night in which Cleveland pitchers piled up 19 strikeouts - an MLB postseason record for a nine-inning game.
Griffin entered with two outs in the first inning, inheriting a mess after Daniel Espino allowed a run on two hits and a walk. Cleveland already trailed, and the margin for error was disappearing fast. Griffin handled the moment with force, striking out Munetaka Murakami to end the inning and keep the damage from getting any worse.
“All I wanted to do was get the boys back to the dugout, limit the damage there,” Griffin said. “Felt pretty good about the match-up. And then from there, keep going until Skipper takes the ball from me.”
He kept going a long time.
Griffin struck out the side in the second, then added three more punchouts in the third before being lifted in the fourth. In all, he allowed one run on two hits and matched the franchise postseason record for a reliever, joining Sam Hentges, who did it in Game 2 of the 2022 AL wild card series against Tampa Bay.
The company gets even more exclusive from there. Griffin became only the third left-handed reliever in major league history to strike out at least seven batters in a postseason game, joining Tug McGraw and Hall of Famer Warren Spahn.
For Griffin, the performance was even more striking because of the path that got him there. Wednesday was just the second relief appearance of his major league career and his first this season. He hadn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 29, but he said he stayed ready by throwing simulated games and getting on the mound whenever he could.
“Being in the bullpen, you never know when your name’s going to be called,” Griffin said.
When it came, it came quickly.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt praised the outing after the game, saying, “Foster, he got some big outs for us today,” before adding, “So tip your cap to Foster.”
Griffin said the key was simple: command.
“I just feel like my execution was really good today,” Griffin said. “I don’t feel like I left a lot of balls in the middle. I was pounding the zone a lot, getting ahead two strikes and putting them on the defense.”
That same strike-throwing edge showed up all over Cleveland’s staff as the Guardians kept racking up outs by way of the strikeout. Griffin’s own line was eye-catching enough on its own, but it also fit into a broader night of pitching dominance.
For Griffin, though, the setting made it unforgettable. This was his first postseason appearance, and it came in a hostile ballpark with Cleveland’s season hanging in the balance. After a 12-year professional journey that has taken him through the minor leagues, Japan and back to the majors, he said the moment didn’t overwhelm him.
“It was great, especially on the road,” Griffin said. “They were all against us, but I just feel like ... everywhere I’ve been in my career, Minor Leagues, Japan, Big Leagues, I feel like kind of prepared me for that moment to not let the game speed up on me.”
In Other News...
Guardians Just Forced The ALDS Back Into A Much Bigger Game 4
The Guardians made sure this ALDS is still very much alive, rolling past the White Sox 9-3 in Game 3 and trimming Chicagos series lead to 2-1. Cleveland got the kind of balanced night it needed, with Jos Ramrez delivering two hits and two RBIs, Jo Adell driving a three-run triple and Foster Griffin striking out a franchise postseason-record seven in 2 2/3 innings.
Game 4 now feels a lot bigger than it did before first pitch, with the series shifting back to Rate Field and Cleveland trying to turn one win into real pressure on a Chicago club that still holds the edge. The Guardians have already shown they can swing a game with timely hitting and a dominant relief effort, and now they get the chance to see whether that formula can force this matchup into a true grind down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Need Their Deadline Bets To Save This Series
The Guardians got exactly the kind of boost they were hoping for from their deadline additions in Game 3, and they needed it. Foster Griffin covered 2.2 innings and earned the win, while Jo Adell delivered a three-run triple in a 9-3 victory over the White Sox that kept Cleveland alive in the ALDS and showed why front offices pay for late-season help.
Now the pressure shifts to Game 4, where Cleveland still has to avoid elimination and Parker Messick is scheduled to start. A series that looked like it might slip away suddenly has some life, but the Guardians will need the very players they added to stabilize the roster to keep extending it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Need One More Fast Start To Bring This ALDS Home
The Guardians most convincing punch in the ALDS came after they had already dug into the White Sox bullpen, turning Game 3 into a nine-run statement and keeping their season alive. Now the task is simpler on paper and tougher in practice: win again, send the series to a decisive Game 5 back in Cleveland, and make Chicago keep chasing.
Parker Messick is lined up for Game 4, and Clevelands formula is starting to look familiar. The Guardians need another fast start to put pressure on the White Sox early, then ask Messick to work deep enough to avoid exposing a tired bullpen too soon. If they can do both, the series shifts right back to the kind of winner-take-all setting they wanted all along. [Read more 🡒]