Birdsong (8 K's) keeps fight for 5th starter fierce

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The fiercest competition in Giants camp isn’t showing any signs of abating.

Right-hander Hayden Birdsong continued to put his best foot forward in the battle for the fifth spot in San Francisco’s rotation, striking out eight over five scoreless innings in a 7-3 win over the A’s on Sunday afternoon at Scottsdale Stadium.

Left-hander Kyle Harrison, another rotation hopeful, came in after Birdsong and allowed three runs over three innings, but he flashed his best velocity of the spring, topping out at 95 mph with his four-seam fastball.

Birdsong and Harrison’s outings came two days after the third contender, Landen Roupp, delivered a dazzling performance at the Giants’ Minor League complex at Papago Park, where he struck out 13 over five scoreless innings in a High-A ball game against the Rockies.

It’s certainly making for a dramatic finish to the fifth-starter competition, though the Giants know that all three youngsters should have a chance to contribute to the rotation mix at some point in 2025.

“Look, all three of these guys are going to pitch for us this year,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. But it’s kind of cool to have three guys that are as talented as they are pitching for that last spot. It means we have some depth, and it means we have a good rotation. To this point, nothing’s been decided. Let’s put it that way.”

The competition won’t necessarily be decided on paper, though the 23-year-old Birdsong has certainly strengthened his case after logging a 0.75 ERA with 18 strikeouts and zero walks over 12 innings across his first four Cactus League appearances. His ability to limit the free passes has been a key step forward for him, as he averaged 5.4 walks per nine innings after debuting with the Giants last season, which often prevented him from pitching deeper into games on a consistent basis.

Birdsong had no trouble filling up the strike zone on Sunday, though, as he needed only 60 pitches to get through five innings for the first time this spring. He touched 98 mph with his four-seamer, but he mostly leaned on his offspeed stuff to stymie the A’s hitters, using his changeup to induce seven of his eight punchouts.

“It gives me a little confidence boost,” Birdsong said. “That was my goal in the offseason, to fill it up more, and obviously, I’ve done that. Hopefully that translates to during the season.”

Harrison, 23, has been a little behind Birdsong and Roupp this spring, as he fell ill right before the beginning of camp and ended up losing approximately 13 pounds. It took him a while to get his strength back, which helps explain why his velocity mostly sat in the 91-93 mph range during his first few Cactus League outings. Harrison is back to his original weight now and recently worked on raising his arm slot, helping him restore some zip to his pitches on Sunday.

“It’s definitely good to see that,” Harrison said. “I’m in a good spot now and have been putting in the work, so it’s good to see it’s finally paying off a little bit. Results-wise, today wasn’t the best. But I was throwing strikes, competing, getting ahead, throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes. A lot of those things I’m trying to work on. I saw a little bit of it come to fruition today.”

Harrison came into camp as the favorite to nab the final spot in the Giants’ rotation after logging a 4.56 ERA over 24 starts as a rookie last year, but he’s recorded a 10.80 ERA over his first three Cactus League appearances and likely won’t have enough time to get fully stretched out before the regular season begins, which could dampen his chances of cracking the Opening Day roster.

“We’ll see where we are with him,” Melvin said. “He’s a little bit behind everybody. But I think today, getting him three innings, it seemed like there was a little bit more life in his arm. It’s a step in the right direction.”

While there’s only one opening available in the Giants’ rotation, which already includes Logan Webb, Justin Verlander, Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks, the club could opt to carry at least one of their young starters in the bullpen, which could bode well for Roupp. The 26-year-old right-hander came out of nowhere to win a spot in San Francisco’s bullpen last spring and is making another push for a roster spot after logging a 3.75 ERA over four Cactus League appearances.

“It’s definitely giving me confidence going into the season, wherever I’m at, if I’m in the bullpen, in the starting rotation,” Roupp said. “I don’t think the competition is going to be over until the last day of camp. I’ve still got to pitch well and continue to do what I’ve been doing.”