The numbers said Aaron Hicks had no chance against Justin Verlander.
Hicks entered Game 5 of the ALCS just 2-for-23 with 10 strikeouts in his career when facing the Houston right-hander. Then there was the fact that until Hicks returned for this series, he hadn’t played since Aug. 3, when he suffered a strained flexor tendon near his right elbow.
But instead of being overmatched, Hicks delivered the most important hit of the game — and perhaps the season — as the Yankees avoided elimination.
Hicks’ dramatic, three-run homer capped a wild first inning in a 4-1 win that extended the Yankees’ season.