Hayden Birdsong’s first big-league win came in a big-time road debut Tuesday night.
Sure, the rookie right-hander gave up back-to-back solo home runs, but the Giants matched that feat against the majors’ ERA leader in Reynoldo López, then they pulled away for a 5-3 win at Atlanta’s Truist Park to open a six-game road trip.
“It’s very special. It will settle in later I’m sure. Now I’m in the books,” Birdsong told reporters, as broadcast by NBC Sports Bay Area. “I can’t really thank this team enough for being behind me and playing as hard as they can. It’s been awesome.”
Jorge Soler and LaMonte Wade Jr. hit the fifth-inning home runs to wipe out the Giants’ 2-0 deficit. Another Giants’ solo home run — Heliot Ramos’ opposite-field shot over the right-corner wall in the ninth — secured the Giants’ sixth win in eight games, after they had lost five straight away from Oracle Park.
Perhaps more impressive, Ramos made a diving catch and landed hard on his right shoulder to record the first out for closer Camilo Doval, who struck out the Braves’ next two batters for his 15th save.
Birdsong, pulled after 4 2/3 innings in last Wednesday’s impressive debut against the Cubs, was determined to pitch the five innings necessary to earn a decision. With runners at second and third, the Braves sent up the top of their order, and Birdsong courageously countered by recording his fifth strikeout and a rally-killing flyout to preserve the 2-2 tie.
“Trying to get through five, trying to get a win, had to pitch out of a jam, that’s when we found out the most about his night tonight,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters afterward.
Birdsong initially got into that jam by issuing an 11-pitch walk to Adam Duvall. “I was getting a little frustrated. It’s a good hitter. Everybody up here is a good hitter, as I’ve learned,” Birdsong added. “You just have to keep attacking. That’s what I did. It didn’t work out exactly what I wanted but I got what I needed and finished that inning.”
Birdsong, 22, was pitching four years ago at Eastern Illinois, the alma mater of another right-hander who won a lot in a San Francisco uniform, that being former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
“It’s been a short look but he’s had some bad at-bats and has been able to figure it out,” Melvin said. “He’s had walks that weren’t competitive and able to make adjustments. … That’s what you look for, being able to make adjustments.”
The Giants promptly put Birdsong in position for a win, when pinch-hitter Luis Matos’ grounder ricocheted off third baseman Austin Riley’s glove and brought in Michael Conforto for a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Two innings later, Brett Wisely doubled and later scored on Nick Ahmed’s flyout for a 4-2 lead.
The Braves pulled within 4-3 when Tyler Rogers allowed a Jarred Kelenic double and an Ozzie Albies RBI single; Rogers responded by striking out No. 3 hitter Marcell Ozuna and getting Matt Olson to ground out.
As was the case in Birdsong’s debut last Wednesday at Oracle Park, the Giants’ offense produced back-to-back home runs. Soler and Wade opened Tuesday’s fifth inning with solo shots, canceling out the Braves’ own back-to-back bombs in the second inning. López entered with a MLB-best 1.70 ERA and a 6-2 record, and he certainly labored before exiting after his 101st pitch struck out Ramos.
Soler entered this game 12-for-19 with three home runs against López, and after striking out his first two at-bats Tuesday, Soler blasted an 0-2 fastball 394 feet, reminiscent of his heroics that made him the 2021 Atlanta Braves’ World Series MVP. With a launching pad officially ajar, Wade followed with a 442-foot on a full-count slider to tie the score at 2-2.
Birdsong struck out three of the first four batters he faced. Then came Austin Riley and Sean Murphy with back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning, on 407-foot and 430-foot shots, respectively.
The Braves almost hit three bombs in a row, but Adam Duvall’s 396-foot blast couldn’t clear the center-field wall, nor could Heliot Ramos’ glove nab it to prevent a double. Riley belted a 2-1 fastball into the left field’s second deck on a 97.7-mph offering, which is what Birdson struck out Matt Olson in the preceding at-bat.
Mike Yastrzemski, out the previous nine games with an oblique strain, produced the Giants’ only two hits off López through four innings. The Giants worked deep into counts against López, starting with 29 pitches in the first inning when all four batters reached a full count; three struck out and Wade walked.
NOTES: Matt Chapman’s seven-game hitting streak came to an end on an 0-for-5 night, but not without him lining out twice to the center-field track in his first two at-bats…Kyle Harrison was slated to throw a bullpen session on the side in Atlanta as part of his recovery from an ankle injury…Blake Snell (groin) will throw 75 to 80 pitches Wednesday and Robby Ray (elbow) will start Thursday for Triple-A Sacramento in Reno…Alex Cobb (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday and then pitch Friday in a rehab assignment…Wilmer Flores (right knee tendinitis) and Thairo Estrada (left wrist sprain) stayed behind in San Francisco this week for rehabilitation, as is the case with Tom Murphy (left knee sprain) and Keaton Winn (right elbow)… ight-handed pitcher Landen Roupp got optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. He allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in 2 2/3 relief innings before Tyler Rogers came in to get the final out of Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Dodgers…Monday, infielder Trenton Brooks and pitcher Raymond Burgos cleared waivers and were outrighted to Sacramento…Left-handed pitcher Kolton Ingram got claimed off waivers from St. Louis and was optioned to Double-A Richmond. Ingram is 3-0 with a 4.26 ERA in Triple-A for three different organizations this season (Mets, Cardinals, Rangers)…Bryce Eldridge, a 19-year-old infielder, was named to MLB’s Futures Game on July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. He began the year at Single-A San Jose (10 home runs, 45 RBI, 34 runs in 51 games) before his promotion last week to High-A Eugene (6-for-12, four RBI in four games).
