Michael Conforto (8) and Mike Yastrzemski (5) of the San Francisco Giants celebrate after scoring on Casey Schmitt’s two RBI base hit in the top of the fourth inning at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Wed Sep 18, 2024 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Baltimore, Maryland

San Francisco Giants 5 (74-78)

Baltimore Orioles 3 (84-68)

Win: Hayden Birdsong (4-5)

Loss: Dean Kremer (7-10)

Save: Ryan Walker (8)

Time: 2:36

Attendance: 23,856

By Stephen Ruderman

The San Francisco Giants once again played a clean and efficient game, as they beat the Baltimore Orioles again Wednesday night, 5-3, thanks to a strong start by Hayden Birdsong, and three-run fourth inning.

It was another musty night in Baltimore, as the Giants looked to build off an impressive 10-0 win against the mighty Orioles Tuesday night. Though, perhaps I shouldn’t say the Orioles are so mighty.

Since losing the finale of their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 4, the Orioles have gone 3-8, which is the worst record in Baseball in that stretch. The Orioles have hit .182 in that stretch with a .261 on-base percentage, a .316 slugging percentage and 21 runs scored. Those are all last in Baseball.

As the Giants try to finish this season on a good note and not too far under .500, facing a struggling Orioles’ team could prove to be a big help in what was originally expected to be a brutal final road trip.

Mike Yastrzemski had his big breakout series at Camden Yards in 2019, and his magic in that ballpark continued last night when he led off the game with a home run and got a pair of hits. Yastrzemski stepped in against Orioles’ starter Dean Kremer, and he took the first pitch of the game and hit a home run to right-center field.

This was the first time a Giants’ hitter led off back-to-back games with a home run since Dan Gladden in 1985. Whitey Lockman and Bobby Bonds are the only other two Giants in franchise history to lead off back-to-back games with a home run.

Hayden Birdsong has had an up-and-down first season in the big leagues. After a great July, he struggled in August. He has also struggled with his control as of late, and his wildness has ballooned his pitch count in his recent starts, which has cut a few of them short.

After a five-inning shutout performance against the Milwaukee Brewers last Thursday, Birdsong retired the first six men he faced Wednesday night. However, the Orioles would make things difficult for the young right-hander in the bottom of the thief inning.

A walk to Emmanuel Rivera and a base-hit by Jackson Holliday put runners on first and second for the Orioles with nobody out. James McCann then hit an opposite-field double to right that went off the top of the glove of Yastrzemski, and Rivera scored to tie the game.

Gunnar Henderson struck out on a foul tip, and Holliday scored on a ground out to second by Cedric Mullins to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. The Orioles had Birdsong on the ropes, and the Giants were getting their bullpen ready, but Baltimore’s recent struggles offensively allowed Birdsong to limit the damage to two runs.

The Giants would have a response in the top of the fourth. Heliot Ramos and Michael Conforto singled to start the inning. The Giants would then play some small ball, as Tyler Fitzgerald reached on a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out.

Grant McCray hit a nubber off the end of the bat along the third base line. Kremer went off the mound to get it and flip it to the plate, but the throw pulled catcher James McCann off the plate, and Ramos scored the tying run. Casey Schmitt, who was officially called up to replace Matt Chapman Wednesday, singled on a ground ball to left to knock in a pair, and the Giants took a 4-2 lead.

Limiting the damage in the bottom of the third and getting a three-run boost in the top of the fourth fueled Birdsong, who pitched a pair of scoreless innings in the bottom of the fourth and fifth.

Conforto led off the sixth with a line-drive home run to right to make it 5-2, and Birdsong retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth. However, a two-out base-hit by Colton Cowser ended the night for Birdsong.

Erik Miller came in, and Ryan O’Hearn greeted him with an opposite-field double into the corner in left, which scored Cowser to make it 5-3. Rivera then singled O’Hearn over to third, and Orioles Manager Brandon Hyde sent former Giant Austin Slater up to pinch-hit. Miller struck Slater out, and the Giants kept their lead.

For Birdsong, he went five and two thirds innings and gave up three runs. He only walked two, as he has had better control over his last two starts.

Sean Hjelle escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, and after that, the rest of the game sailed by without any drama. Tyler Rogers and Ryan Walker pitched one, two, three innings in the eighth and ninth to close it out, and the Giants won it 5-3.

Hayden Birdsong got his first win since the second game of the Giants’ doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies on July 27. Dean Kremer took the loss, and Ryan Walker picked up the save.

The Giants improve to 74-78, and they can complete the sweep of the Orioles with a win on getaway day Wednesday. Logan Webb (12-10, 3.53 ERA) will make a rare start following a Giants’ win, and he will be opposed by the veteran, Zach Eflin (10-9, 3.55 ERA). First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m. in Baltimore, and 10:05 a.m.—morning baseball—back home in San Francisco.

Major League Baseball News and Notes:

The Milwaukee Brewers became the first team to punch their ticket to the Postseason. With the Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the Oakland A’s Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Brewers won the National League Central for the second year in a row, and the third time in the last four years. This is also the Brewers’ sixth trip to the playoffs in the last seven years.