BALTIMORE -- Foster Griffin and Zack Littell both sat hunched over a small round table in the visitors’ clubhouse on Saturday afternoon. There was little conversation between the two starters; they were immersed in a game of chess.
Watching Griffin pitch, as he did in the Nationals’ 4-3 win over the Orioles in 10 innings at Camden Yards in the second game of a three-game set, is in many ways like watching a game of chess.
Where there are six types of chess pieces, Griffin has seven pitches, each used as methodically -- and with as much precise command, within reason -- as pieces on a chess board.
On Saturday, Griffin maneuvered his way around 26 batters, allowing just one run (unearned) on three hits and two walks over seven innings, while matching his career high with nine strikeouts (for the third time this year). He became the latest Nats starter (excluding openers) to allow one run or fewer in five consecutive starts since Aníbal Sánchez in 2022.
Griffin's 112 pitches were the most by a National since Patrick Corbin threw 113 in a start on June 28, 2022, vs. Pittsburgh, the latest career-best feat in Griffin’s first full season in the Majors -- and first season as a starter in MLB.
Backed by a Nationals offense that finally found its groove again, posting double-digit hits for the first time since Monday (Griffin’s previous start), the southpaw cruised through seven innings for the fourth time this year.
Though Washington’s three runs weren’t enough to give the bullpen some cushion -- it allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game, marking the Nats’ fourth blown lead in their past five games -- it was Griffin’s performance that stood out. And it helped the Nationals take their first step toward gaining back some momentum, snapping a four-game skid.
Part of what makes Griffin’s arsenal so intriguing is that it centers around his cutter. Having six supplementary pitches enables Griffin to be even more strategic than most starters. So far this season, his four-seam fastball has been his second-most thrown pitch (17.8%), but on Saturday, he utilized his changeup (9.8% on the season) more than any other secondary pitch (17.9%), while using his four-seamer for 12.5% of his pitches.
It’s that versatility that makes Griffin both unique and a weapon … and one of the best starters in the Majors.