Foster Griffin didn’t spend much time dodging the obvious after Wednesday night. The right-hander went straight at the ugly part of the story: Baltimore’s eight-run third inning, the one that blew up his outing and sent him out early.
Even after replaying it in his head, Griffin said the sequence still didn’t fully make sense to him.
“Looking back, yeah, you think exactly that: It’s just how did that keep happening? You know, I felt like really the only ball that was hit really hard was the Pete Alonso one.
Other than that, I felt like I was making my pitches, and you know, the 0-2 hit by pitch hurts as well. Threw it right, kind of right where I wanted, but just got his back foot.
So it’s just one of those outings you just kind of look back on, trying to flush, just try and chalk it up to to baseball,” Griffin said.
That’s the part that jumped out most: Griffin wasn’t sounding like a pitcher making excuses. He was sounding like someone trying to square up a messy inning with what he believed he actually did on the mound.
In his view, Pete Alonso’s single was the only ball in the frame that was really squared up. Everything else, he said, felt like pitches executed the way he wanted.
For Griffin, the answer now is simple. Put it behind him, move on, and treat it like one of those nights that happens in baseball.
That matters for Cleveland, too. Griffin has been a steady part of the Guardians’ rotation since arriving before the trade deadline, and one rough inning against a scrappy Orioles lineup doesn’t erase that. With the Guardians still in position in both the division and Wild Card races, his next start will carry a lot more weight than Wednesday’s final line ever will.
In Other News...
Guardians Top Power Prospect Hits A Bad Time For A Setback
Ralphy Velazquezs late-season surge has hit a brief snag, with the Guardians power prospect sidelined since Sept. 6 because of lingering lower body soreness. Cleveland has been careful not to push him too hard after a strong showing, which makes the timing of the setback frustrating but not unexpected as the organization tries to balance development with caution.
Elsewhere on the injury front, right-hander Shawn Armstrong was scheduled for a rehab appearance, Colin Holderman got in a bullpen session and Rhys Hoskins has begun a return-to-swing program. For a club monitoring multiple recovery tracks at once, Velazquezs status is the one that most directly affects how the Guardians want to finish evaluating one of their top bats. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Thomas Is Giving Braves Fans A Familiar Guardians Headache
Lane Thomas has already created a few familiar uneasy moments for the Guardians since landing with the Braves at the deadline, even before this latest setback. Atlanta put him on the 15-day injured list with a left intercostal strain, an injury that was backdated to Tuesday after he had been scratched from a game earlier in the day. The move adds another layer to a stretch that has not gone smoothly since the deal, with Thomas still searching for consistency at the plate.
For Cleveland, the timing is notable because Thomas was exactly the kind of late-season bat the Braves hoped would change their look. Instead, the early returns have been uneven, and now the injury puts another pause on whatever momentum he was trying to build. It leaves Atlanta waiting to see when he can return and whether there is still time for the trade to pay off the way it was intended. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Need Daniel Schneemann In A New Late-Season Role
Daniel Schneemann has already built a reputation as one of the most movable pieces on the Guardians roster, having spent time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots during his MLB career. Since being recalled to the majors, he has added another layer to that versatility by getting work at first base, a detail that fits neatly with the way Cleveland has leaned on flexibility all season.
Stephen Vogt has not shut the door on using Schneemann there in an emergency, and not just as a patchwork answer if the position suddenly thins out. For a club trying to squeeze value out of every roster spot late in the year, that kind of extra option can matter, especially when one more move could help a lineup stay intact without forcing the Guardians to reshuffle everything else around it. [Read more 🡒]