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Hicks' Grand Slam Shocks Rockies in Rays' Extra-Inning Thriller
5 Aug
Summary
- Liam Hicks hit a grand slam in his debut, powering the Rays to an 11-inning win.
- Hicks was acquired by the Rays in a trade with the Miami Marlins on Monday.
- Nick Martinez will start for the Rays against Rockies' Tomoyuki Sugano on Wednesday.
Liam Hicks debuted with the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, making an immediate, powerful impression by hitting a grand slam in their 9-7, 11-inning win against the Colorado Rockies. Acquired on Monday in a trade that sent three minor-leaguers to the Miami Marlins, Hicks is expected to significantly contribute to the Rays' defense from the catcher position.
Mana ger Kevin Cash anticipates Hicks will catch frequently, working alongside Nick Fortes. The transition is expected to be smooth, given similarities in pitching messaging between the Rays and Marlins. While Hicks couldn't guide acquiring pitcher Freddy Peralta to a successful outing, Nick Martinez is set to pitch Wednesday.
Martinez, who is having a career-best season with a 10-3 record and 2.77 ERA, will aim to secure the series win for Tampa Bay. He faces Rockies' ace Tomoyuki Sugano, who has an 11-4 record and 4.47 ERA this season. Sugano will look to lead the Rockies to victory on their home turf.
Mickey Moniak, who recently signed a two-year contract extension, also featured prominently for the Rockies, hitting two home runs in the series. Despite being in last place, the Rockies have shown offensive power, scoring 16 runs in the first two games of the series, though they have lost both.
