SF Giants fall back below .500 as Hayden Birdsong endures worst start of career

A week ago, exactly, the Giants placed a world of pressure on Hayden Birdsong.

Birdsong, who began the season with Double-A Richmond, made his debut in late-June largely because the rotation was depleted. With just two starts with Triple-A Sacramento to his resumé, the 22-year-old still required polish. By late July, the Giants traded Alex Cobb with the specific intent of maintaining a rotation spot for Birdsong. Farhan Zaidi, the team’s president of baseball operations, subsequently called the rotation the best in baseball.