Birdsong allowed one unearned run, struck out four and didn’t issue a walk over five innings to even the three-game series with Kansas City.

Hayden Birdsong threw five sharp innings in his first start of the season and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Tuesday night. Birdsong (2-0) was moved from the bullpen to the rotation in place of Jordan Hicks and provided just what manager Bob Melvin hoped he would deliver when he made the move.

Hicks signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Giants in January 2024 to join the team as a starter after spending years with the St. Louis Cardinals as a reliever. The right-hander started hot (1.59 ERA in April) but transitioned to the bullpen by late July as the innings added up and fatigue set in.