Foster Griffin had waited his entire career for a chance to pitch in October, and he made sure it was worth the wait. With the Cleveland Guardians facing elimination in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday, the left-hander came out of the bullpen in the very first inning and completely changed the direction of the game. Griffin struck out seven White Sox hitters over 2 2/3 innings, setting a franchise postseason record for a reliever and helping Cleveland stay alive with a 9-3 win at Rate Field. It was his first career playoff appearance, and it came on the biggest stage imaginable. After the game, Griffin reflected on the winding road that led him to that moment, saying the ups and downs of a career spent in the minor leagues, in Japan and in the big leagues “kind of prepared me for that moment.”
“The ups and downs and everywhere I’ve been in my career, minor leagues, Japan, big leagues. I feel like kind of prepared me for that moment,” Griffin said.
"The ups and downs and everywhere I've been in my career, minor leagues, Japan, big leagues. I feel like kind of prepared me for that moment"
(Via MLB Video) #Guardians Foster Griffin on his 1st playoff appearance#GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/rBlbsXOCP1
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) October 8, 2026
That journey has been a long one. Kansas City selected Griffin in the first round of the 2014 draft, and he spent years trying to establish himself before eventually taking his career overseas to pitch in Japan. He returned to the majors this season with Washington before the Guardians acquired him at the trade deadline in August. Few players on Cleveland’s roster have traveled a path quite like his, and it clearly gave him a calm presence when the Guardians needed it most.
He did not have long to settle in on Wednesday. Opener Daniel Espino struggled with his control in the first inning, walking Sam Antonacci and allowing a single to Miguel Vargas before Kyle Teel doubled home a run to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. Espino recorded two strikeouts, but Stephen Vogt turned to Griffin to get the final out and keep the inning from getting away.
From there, Griffin was dominant. He retired seven of the first eight batters he faced, and six of those outs came by strikeout. While Griffin was carving up the Chicago lineup, the Cleveland offense finally broke through with a four run third inning, highlighted by Jo Adell’s bases clearing triple.
His teammates were just as impressed as everyone watching. Steven Kwan joked that he did not even know Griffin was in the bullpen, but praised the way he kept Chicago’s hitters off balance by changing his arm angles and his timing. Vogt said Griffin recorded nine very big outs and deserves a lot of credit for the win.
Griffin’s outing set the tone for a historic day on the mound. Cleveland’s pitchers combined for nineteen strikeouts, a major league postseason record for a nine inning game, with Tim Herrin and Cade Smith closing things out with three hitless innings in the late stages.
Cleveland still trails the series two games to one, with Game 4 set for Thursday in Chicago. Parker Messick will start for the Guardians, and the winner of this series will advance to face the Rays in the American League Championship Series. After everything Griffin has been through to get here, he is not about to take this October for granted.
NEXT: Guardians' Comeback Odds Are Better Than You'd Think
