Hayden Birdsong went 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts while allowing two runs in his start against Atlanta on Friday and not factoring into the decision.
Birdsong’s stuff was solid. The command was anything but. He needed 93 pitches to get his 13 outs, and 41 of those landed outside of the strike zone with Birdsong issuing five walks before being pulled. It’s disappointing, because a modicum of quality control could have seen him pitch deep, but instead it’s a very mediocre no-decision. Birdsong gets to face the Rockies in Colorado next week, and he’ll hope for similar stuff with more strikes.