‘Players have 100% confidence in Konnor Griffin’

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – In the span of a season, any player is going to have his share of good and bad. For Konnor Griffin in his 12^th MLB start Thursday it was both, but it’s how he handled it that is what is different.

Griffin could have hidden from reporters after, instead he waited at his locker. The 19-year-old answered all questions that came to him like he did when he signed for $140 million the previous week.

After an overall question, the next was about the error. Let’s set up that play.

Bases were loaded in the fifth inning in a 0-0 game and starter Braxton Ashcraft had struck out dangerous Nationals leadoff hitter James Wood. Next batter Luis Garcia rolled a slowly hit ground ball to shortstop Griffin where he had to come in a bit. Instead of flipping to second baseman Brandon Lowe, which would have been a close play, Griffin tried to run back to his left. He stepped on the bag and as he spun to throw to try to get the double play, he was taken out by the runner and the throw spiked and rolled into right field. All three runners would score giving the Nats a 3-0 lead.

“Just something that as uber-athletic as Konnor is, he's trying to make a play right there,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly. “I think if anything, just make sure we get one.”

“I was just trying to make a play for Braxton,” Griffin said. “Fielded it, thought I had a chance to get second, turn and throw, my back leg got stuck under his. At that point, I just tried to hold onto it. It kinda slipped out of my hand and three runs scored.”

“That’s on me. (I’ll) Keep working on that.”

It’s the ownership of it that has impressed his teammates.

“We talked about it, he came up and said ‘I’m sorry’,” Ashcraft said, noting if he wouldn’t have put two runners on base that situation would have never presented itself. “I said never apologize to me, nobody questions the effort you put in. Nobody questions the process that you have throughout your work. Then he comes back.”

It was the next inning after being 0 for 2 at the plate, following Joey Bart’s one-out single, Griffin hammered a cutter 403 feet at 108.7 mph off the top of the wall for an RBI triple to tie the game. His first triple in the majors.

Griffin said he was able to extend on a slider and that part of the game he said was fun.

“That’s a testament to the professional that he is and the way he goes about his work,” Ashcraft said.

"Huge,” Kelly said. “For him to stay in the moment and drive that ball. Just the way that he's able to stay in the moment and stay in the game and continue to compete. Even there in the last inning, being able to set us up there first and third with a base hit. He's doing great."

Griffin has hits in his last three starts, including a pair of extra base hits, and four of his last five.

“The results are going to come, I’m just trusting the process and continuing to be the same guy,” Griffin said.

Then Ashcraft closed the thoughts.

“I think that I speak for the 25 other guys in the clubhouse that nobody has anything but 100% confidence in Konnor Griffin.”