SF Giants’ Hayden Birdsong takes bullpen role into first game at Yankee Stadium

With his first trip to New York as a big league pitcher imminent, Hayden Birdsong is looking forward to embracing the vibe that is Yankee Stadium.

A native of Mattoon, Illinois, Birdsong was partial to the Chicago Cubs.

“I never grew up a Yankees fan,” Birdsong said before the Giants embarked on a 10-game trip which begins Friday night (4:05 p.m.) in the Bronx against the defending A.L. champions. “It wasn’t one of those stadiums where I was like, `I have to go there one day.’ But...