Hicks walked five batters before recording an out in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s 8-1 defeat to the Blue Jays at Busch Stadium, prompting yet another early pull from manager Oliver Marmol in what has become a pattern of poor starts for Hicks this early in the season.
The defeat ended the Cardinals’ string of four consecutive victories. When asked how much longer the team will maintain Hicks in a starting role, Marmol replied, “It’s a good question that we’ll analyze.” “At the end of the day, we want to feel competitive and for our players to believe they have a chance. I believe the combination of his lack of command of his pitches and the overall tempo made it tough.”
