Jordan Hicks had all the pressure of Cactus League on his head in his last start in Spring training, days after the Nick San Miguel piece on Around the Foghorn mock trading him to the Yankees for LHP Tim Hill.
Hicks started last season well, but faded and the hope was that off-season fitness training would result in a more durable starter. Rough early outings in Spring training had a lot of people talking about him as he stepped out on the mound for his last Cactus League start.
It was against the Royals in Surprise, Arizona and I caught a couple of his pitches from my seat:
He was good. He gave up a homer to Bobby Witt, Jr., and one other hit, a single, in five innings work.
Tonight, in his first start of the regular season, Hicks allowed only one hit to the Astros lineup, holding them scoreless through six innings, striking out six, and allowing two walks.
The Giants offense relied on small ball, drawing walks and then getting hits from Cap’n Chapman and DH Wilmer Flores who hit his third homer in four days, driving in four. Mike Yastrzemski was two for four with an RBI.
It was a great start in which Camilo Doval followed Hicks with a perfect inning hold in relief in the seventh.
Shane Blevins gave up two runs with two outs in the eighth after a bloop single from Altuve skipped off his hand and broke up defensive rhythm, but Erik Miller came in to clean it up.
Ryan Walker closed out the Astros and the Giants got the win.
A 3-1 start to the season means the Giants will host the home opener with a record that is at least .500 – which is kinda like starting 0-0 on Opening Day.
Giants Baseball Corner 