There was friction on the mound in San Francisco.
Giants reliever Zack Littell was brought in to pitch in the eighth inning Monday with a 3-0 lead over the Braves.
In the first four batters he faced, Littel gave up three hits, a walk and two runs. But after Littel got Austin Riley to hit into a double play, Gabe Kapler came to the mound to make a pitching change.
Littell was not happy about the hook, jawing with the manager on the mound.
While Kapler stood stoically without any verbal reaction on the field, when he returned to the dugout he got Littell and briskly motioned for the two to have a private conversation in the clubhouse — away from prying eyes.
Zack Littell had words with Gabe Kapler after getting pulled against the Braves. NBC Sports San FranciscoUltimately, cooler heads prevailed.
“Purely out of frustration on my performance. It came out in a disrespectful way toward him,” Littell said after the game. “Not that I pitched well enough that I deserved it at all.”
Kapler also understood the situation.
“I think Zack wanted to stay in that game,” the manager told reporters. “He’s a competitor…I think it was just his wanting me to know that he wanted to finish that inning. There’s obviously a way to do that, and Zack knows that.
Zack Littell and Gabe Kapler headed to the clubhouse after friction on the mound. NBC Sports San Francisco“We discussed it, and he knows that when I come out to get the ball, he needs to just put the ball in my hand and we’ll talk about anything later. We open the door for conversations for around when players enter and exit games, and I’m happy to discuss those things with players. But there’s a way to do that, and I think Zack understands that.”
At 68-73, the Giants are effectively eliminated from postseason contention — they are nine games behind the Padres for the final wild-card spot in the National League.
