The Athletics' three-year tenure at Sacramento's Sutter Health Park, which is also the home of the Triple-A River Cats (a San Francisco Giants affiliate), began on Monday in a pretty unfortunate manner.

The Athletics formally begin the home portion of their Sacramento era when they host the Chicago Cubs on Monday night in the first-ever Major League Baseball game in the California capital.

The Chicago Cubs pounded the Athletics 18-3 on Monday night to spoil their first game in their new West Sacramento home.

After being forced to move Jordan Hicks to the bullpen in late July last season, the San Francisco Giants were encouraged by the right-hander's performance on Monday in his return to the rotation.

Logan Webb is a different pitcher now than he was last year. He’s tweaked his mechanics. He’s upped his cutter usage. He’s altered his changeup.

Jordan Hicks twirled six shutout innings, Wilmer Flores socked his third home run and the visiting San Francisco Giants defeated the Houston Astros 7-2 on Monday in the opener of

Hicks had pitched in 29 major-league stadiums, a list that doesn’t include Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. He’d even pitched in Mexico’s Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey and the United Kingdom’s London Stadium.

Pitching in his hometown park for the first time in his seven Major League seasons, Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks dazzled against the Astros, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out six over six innings in San Francisco’s 7-2 series-opening victory.

San Francisco Giants starter Jordan Hicks struck out six across six one-hit innings in his first big league appearance in Houston, where he grew up watching the Astros.