Littell (8-10) took the loss Wednesday against Detroit, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and zero walks while striking out seven in 4.2 innings.
Entering Wednesday's action on an 18-inning scoreless streak, Littell immediately served up a leadoff home run to Parker Meadows in the first. Littell was able to settle in afterwards, but the Rays' offense only mustered one run of support in the 7-1 defeat. After starting 18 games over the first six years of his career, Littell started 29 contests for the Rays in 2024, posting a respectable 3.63 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 141:31 K:BB in 156.1 innings (29 starts).
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Rays' Zack Littell: Five shutout innings in win
Rotowire
Littell (6-9) threw five scoreless innings to pick up the win Sunday against Baltimore, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out four.
Littell was sharp, limiting a potent Orioles offense to just three singles to earn his first win since Aug. 3. The 28-year-old has been excellent over his past six starts, allowing one or fewer runs in five of those outings, pitching to a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 18:10 K:BB in 31.2 innings. Littell doesn't offer gaudy strikeout totals, but his superb command has allowed him to maintain consistency. On the year, the right-hander owns a 3.89 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 122:31 K:BB in 138.2 innings (26 starts). He will look to stay hot in his next start, currently scheduled for next weekend in Cleveland.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Allows four runs in return
Rotowire
Littell (5-9) took the loss against the Twins on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts over four innings.
Littell was a bit rusty in his return from the injured list, walking a season-high four batters and surrendering a three-run homer in the third inning. On the plus side, his velocity was mostly in line with his season averages, and he generated a solid 11 whiffs on 78 pitches. The 28-year-old owns a 4.04 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 118:30 K:BB across 133.2 innings this season and lines up for a tough matchup with the Orioles this weekend.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Falls to Baltimore
Rotowire
Littell (5-8) took the loss Friday against the Orioles, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out five.
After surrendering a home run to Colton Cowser to lead off the game, Littell managed to settle in and keep Baltimore off the board until the fifth, when Ryan O'Hearn drove in two more runs with a two-out single. The 28-year-old Littell had won back-to-back starts prior to Friday, allowing just one run in 12.2 innings. Overall, the right-hander sports a 4.11 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and 113:24 K:BB across 124.2 innings this season. Littell's currently slated for a home matchup with the Astros in his next outing.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Blanks Cincy for fourth win
Rotowire
Littell (4-7) picked up the win in Saturday's 4-0 victory over the Reds, scattering three hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out five.
The 28-year-old right-hander was masterful over 96 pitches (60 strikes), as Cincinnati managed to get only two runners into scoring position against him. The quality start was the eighth of the year for Littell, but only his second in his last eight trips to the mound, a stretch in which he has a 5.22 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. With the Rays in sell mode at the trade deadline and Littell headed for his final year of arbitration in 2025, Saturday's performance can only have boosted his market value. If he doesn't get dealt, he's scheduled to make his next start for Tampa Bay on the road next weekend in Houston.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Battered in loss
Rotowire
Littell (3-7) took the loss Monday against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs on nine hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out six.
The 28-year-old surrendered three home runs in this one, including back-to-back blasts from Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe in the second inning. Littell has allowed at least one home run in 11 of his past 12 starts, limping to a 5.49 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB during that stretch. The right-hander boasts an elite 4.95 K/BB that ranks in the 94th percentile, but he will need to keep the ball in the yard to find consistency. Littell will look to bounce back his next time out, a start currently scheduled for this weekend against Cincinnati.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Nabs quality start in no-decision
Rotowire
Littell allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three batters over six innings in a no-decision against the Guardians on Saturday.
Littell got through four scoreless frames before serving up a solo homer to Angel Martinez in the fifth inning. A catcher's interference call on batterymate David Fry led to a second Cleveland run in the frame, which tied the score and took Littell out of line for a victory. The right-hander ended his outing on a high note, retiring the side in order in the sixth to notch his first quality start since June 9. Littell will finish the first half of the campaign with a 4.26 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 94:19 K:BB over 101.1 innings.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Lit up in loss
Rotowire
Littell (3-6) allowed seven runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out five over four innings to take the loss versus the Rangers on Sunday.
Littell mostly had things under control until the Rangers erupted for six runs in the fourth inning. He left with a 7-2 deficit, and the Rangers continued to find success against the Rays' bullpen, leaving Littell to take his first loss in four starts. He's had one bad outing in each month of the season, but he's given up four or more runs just four times in 18 starts. The right-hander has a 4.44 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 91:17 K:BB through 95.1 innings. Littell will look to bounce back versus the Guardians in a challenging matchup at home next weekend.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Strikes out six in no-decision
Rotowire
Littell did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 11-3 win over the Mariners, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts over five innings.
Littell opened with four scoreless innings before allowing a two-run home run to Ty France in the fifth. He generated an impressive 14 swinging strikes on just 72 pitches and has rebounded from a rough start June 14 by yielding just two runs in each of his past two outings. The 28-year-old owns a 4.17 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 82:16 K:BB this season and will try to record his first win since May 11 against the Royals next week.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Allows two runs in no-decision
Rotowire
Littell did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings against the Twins. He struck out five.
Thursday represented a return to form for Littell, who held the Twins to single tallies in each of the second and third innings. Littell had posted a 7.71 ERA and 2.07 WHIP with four homers given up across three starts in June entering Thursday, including a season-worst six earned runs allowed in just two frames during his previous start. Although he was touched up for a homer for the seventh consecutive outing, it was also the first time in five starts he didn't allow at least three earned runs. He tentatively lines up for a home matchup with the Mariners next week.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Takes loss in quality start
Rotowire
Littell (2-4) took the loss Sunday against the Orioles, allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk across six innings. He struck out three.
Littell had to work for his third straight quality start, stranding five batters and allowing four extra-base hits, including a fourth-inning solo homer by Anthony Santander. Littell has surrendered a home run in five straight starts and owns a 4.55 ERA with a 24:5 K:BB across 29.2 innings. He's tentatively scheduled for a road start in Atlanta on Friday.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Battles through quality start
Rotowire
Littell struck out two and allowed three runs on 11 hits and one walk over six innings in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Orioles. He didn't factor into the decision.
Littell's day started by allowing a leadoff homer to Gunnar Henderson, but he somehow managed to keep the Rays in the game despite walking the tight rope throughout most of his six-inning effort. In total, Littell scattered a season-high 11 hits and 12 total baserunners while accumulating a season-low two strikeouts. Despite facing at least five Orioles batters in four of his six innings completed, Littell managed to walk away with a quality start, and his gritty performance kept the door open for the Rays to pull off the comeback win. Littell will look to make things a bit easier on himself during his next start, tentatively slated to take place against these same Orioles next weekend when the O's return the favor and make the trip to Tampa.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Punches out seven
Rotowire
Littell didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Boston, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk across 5.2 innings. He struck out seven.
Littell fared better against the Red Sox the second time around, holding them to three hits Tuesday after yielding seven hits and four runs to Boston in his last start. Though the 28-year-old did surrender a solo homer to Jarren Duran, he tied his season high in strikeouts and walked fewer than two batters for the sixth time in his last seven starts. Littell hasn't gone deeper than six innings this season but owns a 3.42 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP across 10 appearances. He's scheduled for a home start against the Athletics next Tuesday.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Picks up second win
Rotowire
Littell (2-2) got the victory Saturday versus the Yankees, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He notched three strikeouts.
Littell came into this outing with zero walks over his last four starts and at least six strikeouts in all of those outings. While he went the other direction in both areas during Saturday's start, it was an effective outing nonetheless. Littell is sitting on a 3.02 ERA, but this was his first win since March 30. His next outing projects to come in Boston.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Yields five runs in loss
Rotowire
Littell (1-1) took the loss Monday against the Tigers, allowing five runs on nine hits and no walks over six innings. He struck out seven.
Littell allowed a solo homer to Mark Canha on the third pitch of his start Monday and never seemed to recover. Despite surrendering five runs, Littell managed to generate 15 whiffs and match his season high in strikeouts with seven. The 28-year-old starter sports a 3.33 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 29:5 K:BB over 27 innings. His next start is scheduled against the White Sox on the road.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Inefficient in no-decision
Rotowire
Littell came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Angels, allowing one run on six hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander ran his pitch count up to 99 (62 strikes) before getting the hook, missing out on a chance to secure his second win of the year. Littell has a 1.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB through three starts and 15.1 innings, and he has yet to serve up a homer despite the fact that one of his outings came in Coors Field. The latter could be key to his fantasy fortunes in 2024 after he was tagged for 13 home runs in 87 innings with Tampa Bay last season. Littell lines up for a rematch with the Halos back at home early next week.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Six scoreless in win
Rotowire
Littell (1-0) earned the win over the Blue Jays on Saturday, allowing four hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out six.
It wasn't the most dominant outing in terms of swings and misses (11), but Littell got the whiffs when he needed them with two strikes. A waiver claim by the Rays last May after the Red Sox designated him for assignment, Littell has somehow turned himself into a viable No. 3 starter for Tampa Bay, though fantasy managers will face a tough decision this upcoming week with a trip to notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field on tap.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Wraps up impressive spring
Rotowire
Littell allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 3.1 innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.
After going most of the exhibition season without a blemish to his ERA, Littell ran into a bit of trouble in his final tuneup. Still, it was an impressive spring as Littell had a 13:3 K:BB and did not allow a homer in 13.1 innings. He quietly had a strong run with the Rays last year and has become a popular mid-to-late pick in recent fantasy drafts. The right-hander will start Tampa Bay's third game of the season, Saturday at home against the Blue Jays, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Settles for no-decision Saturday
Rotowire
Littell came away with a no-decision Saturday, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings in the Rays' 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out six.
The right-hander came one out shy of his third quality start in five September outings, and Littell left the mound in line for his fourth win of the season and first since Aug. 27, only for the Tampa Bay bullpen to cough up the lead in the eighth inning. Littell sports a sharp 2.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 22:2 K:BB through 30 innings on the month, and with Saturday's win having locked up a playoff spot for the Rays, he may not be asked to handle a full workload in his final start of the regular season, which lines up for a rematch with the Jays in Toronto next weekend.
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Rays' Zack Littell: Four earned runs in no-decision
Rotowire
Littell did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk over 5.1 innings against the Rockies. He struck out six.
Littell induced a second-inning popup by Nolan Jones that landed just inside the left-field foul line, resulting in an unfortunate triple due to miscommunication between Tampa's young infield tandem of Osleivis Basabe and Curtis Mead. Jones would score on a sacrifice fly before Michael Toglia hit a solo homer. Littell conceded two more earned runs in the sixth and was on track for the loss before Tampa Bay's offensive explosion in the eighth turned the game into a blowout victory for the Rays. In five starts since joining the rotation July 30, the 27-year-old righty has posted a 3.54 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 21:2 K:BB across 28 innings. Littell is tentatively slated to make his next start at home against the Yankees over the weekend.
