ATLANTA – Kyle Crick recorded six saves for Triple-A Sacramento this season as an occasional closer, and his eyes light up when he talks about the experience.
“I liked hearing the fans on the last couple strikes,” Crick said. “It was cool because it was all so different. I’ve never been in the ninth inning as a starter.”
Crick usually didn’t see the eighth inning as a starter. Or the seventh or the sixth. Often not even the fifth. The Giants spent five-plus seasons trying to develop Crick into a dominant rotation piece, but he didn’t throw enough strikes and couldn’t figure out a way to record efficient outs.