CHICAGO (WKRC) – It was as good a story as one could author — and certainly all that could be expected in a debut.
Reds pitcher Zack Littell, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays, made his first start in a Cincinnati uniform on Tuesday and threw seven innings in a 5-1 victory against the Chicago Cubs. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out eight and walking just two.
Per the team, Littell became just the fifth Reds pitcher in the last 125 years with seven-plus innings pitched, one earned run or fewer, and eight-plus strikeouts in his team debut. The others:
Brady Singer, 3/31/25Johnny Cueto, 4/3/08Mo Sanford, 8/9/91Tom Seaver, 6/18/77
“This is probably the first time I’ve ever gone to a new team with expectations to perform,” Littell said, via Casey Drottar on MLB.com. “It was a little different, but the guys here did an awesome job prepping and helping me out. It’s been nothing but great since I’ve been here, and the guys have been awesome.”