SF Giants’ Hayden Birdsong takes bullpen role into first game at Yankee Stadium

With his first trip to New York as a big league pitcher imminent, Hayden Birdsong is looking forward to embracing the vibe that is Yankee Stadium.

A native of Mattoon, Illinois, Birdsong was partial to the Chicago Cubs.

“I never grew up a Yankees fan,” Birdsong said before the Giants embarked on a 10-game trip which begins Friday night (4:05 p.m.) in the Bronx against the defending A.L. champions. “It wasn’t one of those stadiums where I was like, `I have to go there one day.’ But now I’m sitting here and we’re going there this weekend and it’s going to be really cool.”

That’s about as much of a rise as you’ll get out of the 23-year-old right hander whose unflappable nature has contributed to a successful if temporary run as a reliever.

“He’s a pretty laid back kid,” Giants pitching coach JP Martinez said. “Wants the ball, wants to pitch. There’s no real anxiety in his game. It’s pretty comfortable for him to be out there, and any time he comes in, whether it’s starting or relieving, he never wants to come out. That’s a good quality to have.”

The Giants are 9-3 after coming off a 4-2 homestand, rebounding from consecutive shutout losses to the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday with a come-from-behind 8-6 win in 10 innings on Mike Yastrzemski’s two-run splash hit home run.

“It’s going to feel like we’re gone for a month,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “But it’s on the schedule right now. And I think everyone looks forward to going to places like Yankee Stadium and Philly with some pretty raucous crowds.”

Birdsong will be at the ready for the three-game series with Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks and Logan Webb starting, as well as a subsequent four-game series in Philadelphia against the defending N.L. East champions. By the time the Giants get to Anaheim to wrap up the roadie, who knows?

Melvin likens Birdsong’s composure to Jesus Luzardo, who was thrust into a bullpen role and was successful in pressure-packed, high-leverage situations with the Athletics in 2019 as a 21-year-old before going into the rotation permanently.

“He’s going to starter again, there’s no doubt,” Melvin said. “He’s going to be a high-end starter or us. But the need right now is in the bullpen, and he couldn’t have handled it better.”

It wasn’t how Birdsong expected to open the season, but he’s gotten results and is adjusting his mindset to not knowing when his next turn will come.

“I’m here for whatever they need me for,” Birdsong said. “I’d like to start at some point. Hopefully, I will, but if we keep throwing like we are now, we’re going to be tough to beat — especially if we get our bats rolling. Whatever they say, I’ll do right now.”

Birdsong showed promise as a rookie, going 5-6 with 88 strikeouts in 72 innings. His big focus was cutting down walks, and he succeeded wildly in that area during spring training with no walks and 18 strikeouts in 12 innings. That’s helped in a role where aggressively attacking hitters is crucial. Not only that, but Birdsong added another pitch called a “kick change” that he’s thrown for strikes.

“That was my goal coming into this year regardless, to fill it up early, and that’s what I’ve been doing,” Birdsong said. “I’d say the mindset of coming in is a little different because I’m trying to come in and just get out of the inning as fast as I can so we can go back up and hit.

“When I’m starting, it’s, `How long can I go?’ and how can I make sure I’m not throwing too many pitches so I can go six, seven, whatever it is.”

Melvin suspects even Birdsong will feel the tradition as a first-timer at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s a lot of fun. It gets your attention,” Melvin said. “You’re doing (batting practice), you’re going to see all the championships and the propaganda. You walk around the park and it’s the Yankees, the World Series, you start to embrace what’s happened to the New York teams that have been there and what the Yankees are all about. And that should inspire you to play good baseball.”

Giants reliever Lou Trivino experienced the ultimate baseball culture shot in 2022 when he was traded to the Yankees from the Athletics. He was 1-2 with a 1.66 earned run average in 25 games in New York before needing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow which kept him out until this season.

“I had a great time there,” Trivino said. “Obviously there’s a big difference between the Yankees and the A’s organization and the Coliseum in Yankee Stadium. But I really enjoyed myself in New York. Of course it didn’t turn out the way I wanted with injuries and setbacks and whatnot.”

The Giants have yet to make a roster move and haven’t deviated much in terms of their starting lineup, a stark contrast to under baseball czar Buster Posey as opposed to his predecessor Farhan Zaidi.

“We’re getting into a rhythm and that’s good, but also we’re showing how much we care about pitching and defense and we’re prioritizing that,” Yastrzemski said. “Preventing runs from scoring is huge, and the consistency of being on the field and in the rhythm of the game gives us a chance to settle in.”

The way the homestand ended, with Yastrzemski’s splash hit walk-off in a game the Giants trailed 6-1, only added to the good feelings.

“This is an unbelievable group, and even in the last two games when we weren’t scoring runs, we’re still having fun,” Yastrzemski said. “We’re smiling and we’re not letting it affect us. You see how hard it is to win a big league game and we need to enjoy it every time we do. It’s a nice little reminder to keep fighting for it.”

Staff writer Justice delos Santos contributed to this story