Hayden Birdsong’s effective start steers Giants past Royals

Hayden Birdsong won his first start of the season with five strong innings and the San Francisco Giants prevailed in a second consecutive pitchers’ duel with the visiting Kansas City Royals, posting a 3-2 victory on Tuesday.

Willy Adames tripled in a run and scored another for the Giants, which lost the series opener 3-1 on Monday night.

Jung Hoo Lee drove in what proved to be the difference-making run in the fifth and four Giants relievers combined to limit the Royals to one run over the final four innings, sending San Francisco to the fourth win in five games.

Replacing Jordan Hicks in the rotation, Birdsong (2-0) contributed to the only run he allowed in the third inning with an errant pickoff throw and a wild pitch, after which Drew Waters, who had opened the frame with a single, scored on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Isbel.

Birdsong gave up five hits, no walks and the one run, which was unearned, while striking out four.

The Giants trailed 1-0 until Adames’ one-out triple in the fourth scored Heliot Ramos, who had been hit by a pitch. After LaMonte Wade Jr. walked, Casey Schmitt gave San Francisco the lead for good with a single that scored Adames.

San Francisco scored again in the fifth and knocked Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (3-5) from the game. Lee’s RBI single followed an infield hit by Mike Yastrzemski and a throwing error by Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino after fielding a grounder by Wilmer Flores.

Seeking a third consecutive win, the Royals produced the game’s final scoring in the eighth. Hunter Renfroe doubled, went to third on Jonathan India’s infield out and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.’s single.

Two pitches later, however, Witt was gunned down attempting a steal, and the Royals never got another baserunner.

Giants reliever Ryan Walker, who threw a 1-2-3 ninth, was credited with his ninth save. Randy Rodriguez, Kyle Harrison and Camilo Doval pitched three innings of one-run relief bridging Birdsong and Walker.

Yastrzemski had a pair of singles for the Giants, who out-hit the Royals 8-7.

Maikel Garcia had two hits for Kansas City.

–Field Level Media