Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Sep 13, 2022 8:47 pm

Giants demote Zack Littell after in-game blowup with manager

The San Francisco Giants optioned right-hander Zack Littell to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, one day after he got into a heated exchange with manager Gabe Kapler while being pulled from a game.

Littell was called on to pitch the eighth inning of San Francisco’s 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday. He recorded two outs in the eighth but gave up two runs, three hits and one walk.

With left-handed slugger Matt Olson of the Braves coming to the plate, Kapler came out to pull Littell in favor of left-hander Scott Alexander. And Littell angrily exploded at his manager when he asked for the ball.

“I just said I wanted Olson,” Littell told reporters afterward. “Not that I pitched well enough to deserve that at all. I think any guy out there is going to want to finish an inning. That’s all it was. Frustration that I didn’t get through that and not by any means frustration towards (Kapler). Just frustrated with myself and yeah, came out that way.”

After the pitching change was complete, Kapler went back to the dugout and summoned Littell to follow him and they disappeared from view.

“I think Zack wanted to stay in that game obviously,” Kapler said. “He’s a competitor and wanted to finish that inning and I think it was just his wanting me to know that he wanted that inning. There’s obviously a way to do that. Zack knows that. We discussed it.

“He knows that when I come out to get the ball, he just needs to put the ball in my hand, then we’ll talk about anything later. We open the door for conversations around when players enter and exit games, and I’m happy to discuss those things with players. There’s a way to do that. I think Zack understands that.”

Littell said he apologized to Kapler after the contest.

Littell, 26, is 3-3 with a shaky 5.08 ERA in 39 appearances this season. It is a disappointing season compared to last year when he was 4-0 with a 2.92 ERA in 63 appearances.

San Francisco recalled left-hander Thomas Szapucki from Sacramento in a corresponding move.

Szapucki, 26, had a 2.25 ERA in three appearances for the Giants earlier this season and also pitched in one game for the Mets (allowing nine runs in 1 1/3 innings). San Francisco acquired him at the trade deadline when Darin Ruf was dealt to the Mets.

–Field Level Media

You may also like

pirates heaney
Jun 30, 2025 10:30 pm

Pirates pound Cardinals, extend run blowout wins to four

Andrew Heaney and Chase Shugart combined on a four-hit shutout and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offense remained hot during a 7-0 rout of the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night….

lawrence butler
Jun 30, 2025 10:23 pm

Lawrence Butler’s ninth inning triple lifts Athletics over Rays

Lawrence Butler lined a two-run, tie-breaking triple in the ninth inning as the Athletics opened a three-game series with a 6-4 victory over the host Tampa Bay Rays on Monday…

wilyer abreu
Jun 30, 2025 10:10 pm

Wilyer Abreu has grand slam, inside-the-park HR as Red Sox beat Reds

Wilyer Abreu hit two home runs and the Boston Red Sox scored seven runs in the first inning en route to a 13-6 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds on…

More Baseball News

pirates heaney
Jun 30, 2025 10:30 pm

Pirates pound Cardinals, extend run blowout wins to four

Andrew Heaney and Chase Shugart combined on a four-hit shutout and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offense remained hot during a 7-0 rout of the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night….

lawrence butler
Jun 30, 2025 10:23 pm

Lawrence Butler’s ninth inning triple lifts Athletics over Rays

wilyer abreu
Jun 30, 2025 10:10 pm

Wilyer Abreu has grand slam, inside-the-park HR as Red Sox beat Reds

yamamoto dodgers
Jun 30, 2025 10:09 pm

Dodgers strive to continue strong run vs. last-place White Sox

chisholm
Jun 30, 2025 10:07 pm

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 3 RBIs steer Jays past Yankees

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds
[gs-fb-comments]