NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Allowing the New York Yankees to steal five bases in their home opener against Miami extended a troubling trend for Marlins catcher Liam Hicks.
He has yet to catch a runner in the first nine attempts against him this season after going just 6 for 57 in his rookie year. At 6 for 66 in his career, Hicks’ success rate of 10% ranks among the worst at the position.
鈥淥bviously, it鈥檚 not great,” Hicks said after Friday at Yankee Stadium. “You don鈥檛 want guys to steal bases. That鈥檚 a part of the game you鈥檙e not trying to allow happen. But it鈥檚 part of the game. We鈥檝e just got to be better. I鈥檝e got to be quicker. Just going to keep getting better.鈥�
Hicks said calling for pickoffs, making them and mixing up timing are the ways to improve.
The nine stolen bases against him are the third most by any catcher through games Friday. Tampa Bay’s Nick Fortes and and Toronto鈥檚 Alejandro Kirk have allowed 10 apiece.
鈥淟iam has made some good throws in spring training,鈥� manager Clayton McCullough said. “He made some early in the season. (Friday) he made the best throws that he could, I think, under the kind of jumps that they got.鈥�
McCullough called it a tough day all around, citing the 11 walks that were more than Miami pitchers had issued over the first six games combined. Even with those and runners on base, Hicks did not want to blame pitchers or shy away from his role in the situation.
鈥淚deally you want to be as quick as possible, but you also have a pitch you have to throw,鈥� Hicks said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 just rush to the plate, and you鈥檝e got really good hitters up there, too. You鈥檝e got to focus on the pitch you鈥檙e going to throw, too, so it鈥檚 a little bit of both. I think we can do a lot of things to do better, and me especially: Just make better throws.鈥�
On one of the Yankees’ steals, Hicks didn’t even make a throw to second base because Jose Caballero got such a good jump that even perfection would not have gotten the runner out. Caballero and Jazz Chisolm Jr. each had two stolen bases and Aaron Judge picked up his first of the season.
鈥淚t’s complete baseball,鈥� Judge said. 鈥淚f you can add that into the mix, especially with our lineup, that鈥檒l be good.鈥�
Manager Aaron Boone said running became part of the Yankees’ identity in the second half last season. They have 11 stolen bases through their first seven games for just the ninth time in franchise history.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a handful of guys that can really push it in the running game,” Boone said. 鈥淚t’s just more day in and day out, like 鈥榃hat鈥檚 the matchup?鈥� Sometimes you鈥檙e going to have good opportunities to run. Other days, other series, you鈥檙e not necessarily. We got some of the right guys on, and we were able to get it going.鈥�
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