Foster Griffin Gets His First All-Star Selection: A Bright Spot for the Nationals

What Happened on Saturday?

Even when a team has a rough day, there can still be happy news! Here’s the simple version:

• The Washington Nationals (a baseball team) had a tough loss. They “blew their second consecutive save.” In baseball, a save is when a team is ahead and a relief pitcher finishes the game without losing that lead. “Blowing a save” means they lost the lead and the game — for the second time in a row!
• But there was one piece of good news: A player named Foster Griffin was selected to the All-Star Game (a special event where the best players in baseball show off their skills).

Meet Foster Griffin

• Foster is a left-hander, which just means he throws the baseball with his left hand.
• He was named as a replacement for another player, Braxton Ashcraft, who couldn’t play.
• This is Foster’s first All-Star nod (that’s a fun way of saying his first time being chosen for the All-Star Game).

Foster’s Awesome Stats

Before Saturday’s games, Foster had numbers that made him one of the best in his league:

• ERA (Earned Run Average): 2.77 — Think of ERA like a pitcher’s grade. A lower number means he’s really good at stopping the other team from scoring runs.
• Innings pitched: 110⅓ innings — An inning is a part of a baseball game; this shows he played a lot of turns on the mound.
• Strikeouts: 109 — That’s when he throws the ball so well that the batter misses or doesn’t swing, and gets called out.
• All of these marks ranked in the top 10 in the National League (one of the two big groups of baseball teams) heading into Saturday’s slate of games.

Important: Even though the Nationals had a disappointing day by blowing another save, Foster Griffin’s first All-Star selection is a huge personal win and a great reason for the team to celebrate!

Summary

On Saturday, despite the Washington Nationals losing a game after giving up a lead for the second straight time, pitcher Foster Griffin got fantastic news. The left-hander was named to the All-Star Game as a replacement for Braxton Ashcraft. It’s his very first All-Star selection. He has pitched to a 2.77 ERA over 110⅓ innings with 109 strikeouts — and all those numbers were among the top 10 in the National League before Saturday’s games began.

FAQ

What is the All-Star Game?
It’s a special baseball match where the best players from different teams join together to play an exhibition game. It’s like a showcase of the sport’s biggest stars.

What does “blowing a save” mean in kid-friendly terms?
A team earns a “save” when a relief pitcher comes in and protects a small lead to end the game. If that lead is lost, it’s called “blowing a save,” and the team usually loses.

What is ERA and why is 2.77 good?
ERA stands for Earned Run Average. It shows how many runs a pitcher allows per nine innings. A low number like 2.77 means the pitcher is doing a great job keeping the other team from scoring.

What is a strikeout?
A strikeout is when the pitcher gets the batter out by throwing three good pitches that the batter can’t hit successfully. It’s a big achievement for a pitcher!

What is the National League?
It’s one of the two main groups of teams in Major League Baseball (the other is the American League). Foster’s stats were among the top 10 best of all players in this group.