Righty Zack Littel took the mound in Yankee Stadium earlier on Wednesday and pitched a gem for the Tampa Bay Rays. Across 5.0 IP, he allowed just a pair of hits and nary a run, the four walks he issued the lone real blemish on his scorecard.
As it turns out, that was his highest mark in the walks column all season, as he entered play that day leading all of Major League Baseball’s qualified starters in BB/9 (1.2).
As it turns out, that was his final start as a member of the Rays. Ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, the Cincinnati Reds sent minor league pitchers Adam Serwinowski and Brian Van Belle to Tampa to acquire Littel, who’ll reach free agency at season’s end.