AL DIVISION SERIES: WHITE SOX VS GUARDIANS

October 3, 2026

Grant Taylor

Progressive Field

Chicago White Sox

Postgame 1 Press Conference

White Sox 3, Guardians 0

Q. Four innings or 54 pitches, what feels more like digging deep as far as effort?

GRANT TAYLOR: I think probably the four innings. I think this is kind of a bigger environment. So that kind of draws into it, too, being able to go out for four ups. Haven't done that since 2024. So being able to do that and help the guys get the win is a lot of fun.

Q. Were you surprised that you went back out for the fourth inning? The press box announcer said Sean Newcomb was coming in and then he had to correct himself.

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. A little bit of both. I know that when I come in the dugout and Will doesn't tell me that I'm done immediately, that there's a possibility. So I had my whole setup in the tunnel. I just kind of bee lined for it. I wasn't going to let him tell me he changed his mind.

Zach Bove came down and gave me a look at this point of the year I know kind of means, how 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.

Q. Not that you're thinking about the ninth in the sixth. When you come out for the sixth, is any part of your thing like this is my game from here on out? Is that the mentality?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. I think that's the mentality kind of every time this is my game. While I'm on the mound, you're going to do everything you can to kind of lay it out there while you are in the game.

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.

Q. You mentioned being out there for four innings, but also you had other teammates help you get there. What did you make of the performance of the rest of the bullpen on the way to getting to your outing?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. It was unbelievable. We've kind of done that the whole year of being able to hand it off to the next guy, Hagen being able to go out and give us three strong and Huddy being able to come in and close the door. And Newcomb -- I guess Newcomb was warming up.

But K 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 got guys you trust.

Q. Kyle Teel said something to the effect of it was the best he'd seen you pitch this year. What was working? What were you feeling that was working?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. I think it was execution. We had a really good game plan with Bove in between innings and Kyle called a great game.

But outside of the game plan, I think it was execution of pitches. I was in the zone early. And even when I did fall behind, I was able to make good pitches to get right back into the count and get some soft contact.

Q. Having experience as a prior starting pitcher, how much does that help with the buildup for you and the stamina in getting the strength to go out multiple innings time and again?

GRANT TAYLOR: I think it's huge. Obviously I hadn't thrown four innings in a while. But it's not foreign to me at this point to be able to go out for multiples, and it's not foreign for me in the past to be able to go four plus. So being able to rely on that and rely on the guys around me to kind of push me and put me in a position to be successful.

Q. Do you think this could be the future of playoff baseball, the strategy you guys use versus just a unique set of individuals on this team?

GRANT TAYLOR: I think in the near future is probably a little unique. Just how many times we've done it this year, being able to -- we set the record for bullpen innings this year and guys going one-plus.

Possibly some other teams try to copy that if they find that valuable. I think for the most part, it'll stay relatively normal to how it's been, guys -- starting pitchers throw a little bit less innings and then you kind of throw some more guys in the middle, but I think it's what's worked for us and we're going to rely on it.

Q. Were you down in the bullpen for Murakami's home run and your perspective on that home run? Also when you think back to his season, his first impressions of Spring Training to now hitting homers in the postseason, what's that been like?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. That was fun to watch. I think that might have been the coolest home run of the year. I mean, 440 down the line is obviously pretty sweet, but the pimp job was impeccable.

Q. Building up on the thing about everyone wants to be a starter, every pitcher comes up wanting to start. They want to go deep. They want to carry that kind of load for the team.

How much of -- how great do you feel doing it at the back end when they really need it in a close game like this to carry those innings for the Sox?

GRANT TAYLOR: Obviously it feels great to be able to go into a game and command it for four innings and put up zeros and walk away with a postseason W is obviously a great feeling.

Q. You were in the zone from the start, but like with the way you were kind of landing your curveball at the end of that game, do you almost get to develop a feel for some pitches the way a starter might over the course of an outing rather than just coming in and airing it out like a normal reliever situation?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah, for sure. I think definitely with my slider kind of threw out. In the first inning, I threw a slider -- was it? I think it was the first inning. Lowe. Didn't quite get it where I wanted to. He hits a double. But through the second inning, I was able to be able to get a little more feel for it and was able to throw a couple really good ones to Adell.

Q. When you're knowing that you're going to pitch multiple innings, maybe three or four, how does that change your warmup routine in the bullpen rather than if you only thought you were going to pitch one or two innings?

GRANT TAYLOR: I try to keep it the same. I've gotten a really good routine of how I go about my business in the bullpen. And 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.

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.

Q. You mentioned just getting to know Murakami over the season. Just from where he was in the beginning to kind of breaking that language barrier and getting to know his personality a little bit more, how has he not only developed as a leader, but his personality in the locker room as well?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. It's been a lot of fun to watch him open up. His English has gotten a lot better for one thing. He's always fun to be around. He's always joking around.

It's obviously been fun to watch him on the field as well. When he's in the lineup and he's hitting well, he's got a huge presence, and it's really fun to have him on your team.

Q. Not saying you've never shown emotion on the mound, but you seemed a little extra fired up at the end of this one. Is that the situation? Maybe the same reason Mune pimped his home run as much as he did? What were you kind of feeling in that moment?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. Excitement, obviously. I think just playoff baseball in general kind of brings an extra step of energy and excitement.

So being able to finish a game in that way was obviously very exciting. I was trying to stay pretty even keel throughout the whole thing. So there's a lot of pent-up emotions that were all expressed in one moment.