Giants Beat Against Marlins Despite Awful Outing from Struggling Reliever

The San Francisco Giants have a sore spot in their bullpen and may need to consider making moves ahead of the trade deadline.

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants extended their streak of not scoring more than four runs in a game to 14 against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Now, they did secure a 4-2 victory to take the series after losing four of their last five games.

However, it wasn't without stress, as manager Bob Melvin deployed an intriguing choice out of the bullpen with a three-run lead in the seventh.

Reliever Jordan Hicks, who hadn't pitched since Monday, came in and was wild and erratic in his shortest outing of the season and nearly allowed the Marlins to creep back into the contest.

It was clear Hicks' confidence has grown so low that Melvin may need to make a harsher call than pulling his struggling arm like he did Sunday.

Can the Giants Salvage the Situation With Jordan Hicks?

During his brief stint as a starting pitcher this season, Hicks struggled mightily and ultimately found himself demoted to the bullpen due to his performance becoming a liability.

Hicks took the move in stride, but it's clear that his command hasn't come back to him at all.

The intent behind putting Hicks out there was clear; Melvin aimed to help him regain his command and get back on track. But the situation became tense when San Francisco really needed to win the game.

There's a fine line between helping out a struggling pitcher and doing what's necessary to win. Hicks didn't fit that latter bill at all, and no one in the bullpen was helped by that decision.

He managed to do decent damage in 0.1 innings pitched. Hicks posted a 6.47 ERA as he allowed one run and walked three batters at a critical time in the contest.

Unsurprisingly, Melvin pulled him after he threw five strikes to 14 balls and loaded the bases.

That thrust in Tyler Rogers to clean up the mess he made, in which the second run of the day was scored for Miami.

The better call to win the game would've been a mix of Rogers and perhaps Randy Rodriguez. Instead, it could have been Melvin's final attempt to ignite a spark with Hicks.

That may not come at all this season, but his time on the Giants arguably needs to come to a close. There's certainly not a need with an all-star bullpen.

The question is clear: can Hicks be moved? The fit simply isn't working out. Hicks might have too much mental baggage from being demoted and just can't find his confidence back without a scene change.

If any teams are willing to take on his contract, San Francisco should be willing to negotiate.

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