CLEVELAND — Grant Taylor headed back to the dugout after the eighth inning, having just completed his third scoreless frame during Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians.
The right-hander knew there was a chance he would return for the ninth.
“I know that when I come in the dugout and (manager) Will (Venable) doesn’t tell me that I’m done immediately that there’s a possibility,” Taylor said after the game. “I had my whole setup in the tunnel. I just kind of beelined for it. I wasn’t going to let him tell me he changed his mind.
“(Pitching coach) Zach Bove came down and gave me a look (that) at this point of the year I know kind of means, ‘How (do) you feel, what you got?’ And I gave him a nod. He went back, talked to Will. They came back and told me I was going out.”
Column: Grant Taylor and the Chicago White Sox relievers keep doing ‘our little thing’ in Game 1 win
Taylor struck out the side in the ninth, wrapping up the 3-0 win. He allowed two hits and struck out six while collecting the remarkable four-inning save.
“That’s the best I’ve probably ever seen anyone pitch,” catcher Kyle Teel said. “That was just unbelievable, the way he hit his spots, the amount of movement on his pitches.”
According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Taylor became the sixth pitcher to record a four-or-more-inning save in the postseason since saves became an official stat in 1969 — the first since Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS.
Taylor’s six strikeouts were tied for the most in a postseason relief appearance with no walks in major-league history.
“I don’t know what else to say about him,” Venable said. “He’s a beast out there. He wants the ball. His stuff is really good. I thought he actually got better as that outing went on. So some incredible stuff from Grant.”
Taylor entered in the sixth with the Sox leading 2-0. He allowed a two-out double to Nathaniel Lowe, but then got Travis Bazzana to ground out to first baseman Munetaka Murakami.
White Sox reliever Grant Taylor looks skyward before facing his final Guardians batter in the ninth inning in Game 1 of an AL Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 3 in Cleveland. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
The Sox led 3-0 in the seventh. The Guardians saw a rally fizzle when Steven Kwan grounded into an inning-ending double play. Taylor had a 1-2-3 eighth inning. And then came back for the ninth.
“My job when I come in is to give that one inning everything I’ve got and then come in the dugout and possibly go out for another,” Taylor said. “So I’m trying to give everything I can to that one pitch and that one inning. And if I have more in the tank for multiples, then good for me.”
Taylor struck out Angel Martínez, Lowe and Bazzana to give the Sox a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 is at 4 p.m. Monday at Progressive Field.
Saturday was Taylor’s second appearance of the postseason. And both have been impressive. He allowed one run (unearned), on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk in Tuesday’s 6-3 win against the Astros in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series, throwing 54 pitches.
And he delivered when called again on Saturday with the 42-pitch performance.
“Being able to go out for four ups, haven’t done that since 2024,” Taylor said. “So being able to do that and help the guys get the win is a lot of fun.”
Photos: Chicago White Sox beat Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of ALDS
Taylor didn’t know he was going to go four innings when he went to the mound in the sixth. But he entered with a close out mentality.
“My job at this point coming into the sixth inning is to go as deep as they let me and hand it off to the next guy in a winning situation,” Taylor said.
Taylor gave credit to the pitchers that came before him. The group combined for a three-hitter.
“It was unbelievable,” Taylor said. “We’ve kind of done that the whole year of being able to hand it off to the next guy. (Opener) Hagen (Smith) being able to go out and give us three strong and (Bryan Hudson) being able to come in and close the door (in the third inning).
“(Anthony) Kay and the other guys pitching some positions that aren’t super familiar, but being able to do that in the postseason was unbelievable. And you also had that on the defense as well, pretty big double play behind me. It’s pretty easy to pitch when you’ve got guys you trust.”