Walker shares reaction to closer change after Giants' loss to Tigers
Birdsong's second start of season a mixed bag in loss to Tigers
On "Giants Postgame Live," Laura Britt and Shawn Estes discuss the second start of the season for Hayden Birdsong in the 3-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday at Comerica Park.Birdsong's second start of season a mixed bag in loss to Tigers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
1:41
Now Playing
Paused
Ad Playing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
Five takeaways from LSU baseball's Baton Rouge Regional championship
Five takeaways from LSU baseball's Baton Rouge Regional championship LSU baseball advanced to a super regional after completing a game-seven comeback to beat Little Rock on Monday night. Ethan Frey gave LSU a 1-0 lead with a first-inning home run, but Little Rock erased that lead in the third with a five-run inning. That's when Jay Johnson turned to Casan Evans out of the pen, who was dynamite. Evans stabilized LSU, striking out 12 over six innings, allowing just one earned run. Evans, just a true freshman, threw 109 pitches, a career high. With Evans cruising on the mound, the offense went to work. LSU scored three runs in the fourth before tying the game in the sixth. The Tigers added five more runs over the final three innings to win 10-6. Ethan Frey and Luis Hernandez were the heroes at the plate, combining for three homers and seven RBI. Now, LSU turns its attention to West Virginia as the Tigers sit two wins away from a trip to the College World Series. Here are five takeaways from LSU's Baton Rouge Regional title. Eyanson and Anderson is the best pitching duo in America You'll have a hard time finding a better one-two pitching punch than LSU's Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson. On Friday, Eyanson pitched 7.2 shutout innings vs. Little Rock to kick the regional off with a win. He struck out seven and walked one. On Saturday, Anderson was equally impressive. Anderson struck out 11 over seven shutout innings. And on Monday, when LSU needed the final outs to win the regional, Johnson tabbed Eyanson out of the pen. Eyanson finished the game with 1.2 shutout innings. LSU's duo of aces has risen to the occasion time and time again this year. Even when the lineup has struggled, Anderson and Eyanson have done enough to get LSU wins. On the year, Eyanson owns a 2.50 ERA in 93.2 innings. That's one of the best marks in the country. Anderson has 156 strikeouts in 96 innings and is on his way to being a top-five pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. Ethan Frey delivers in the clutch Ethan Frey is arguably LSU's most valuable hitter. His .359 batting average and 1.151 OPS both are team highs. For much of the year, attention at the top of the lineup centered around Derek Curiel, Jared Jones, and Daniel Dickinson, but it was Frey who came up clutch in the regional. On Monday, Frey's first-inning home run put LSU on the board. Then, with LSU down four runs with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Frey cleared the bases with a double and cut the deficit to one. Frey finished LSU's regional clinching win with four hits, reaching base six times. Johnson bumped Frey into the No. 2 hole, and it paid off. Frey came up big on Saturday, too, notching two hits and scoring three times in the win vs. Dallas Baptist. If Frey continues to slug like this, there shouldn't be many concerns about the LSU offense. Casan Evans is a budding star Casan Evans entered 2025 ranked No. 26 on Perfect Game's Top 75 College Freshmen list. Expectations were high, but Evans managed to exceed them. LSU opted to roll with Zac Cowan as the starter on Monday, but Cowan faltered early and Evans entered in the second inning. From there, all Evans did was dominate. At one point, Evans struck out nine straight Little Rock hitter. It was a sight for sore eyes after LSU struggled to throw strikes on Sunday and early on Monday. After the game, LSU pitching coach Nate Yeskie said being around Kade Anderson has been big for Evans. "I think that a guy like Anderson has really rubbed off on Evans because Evans. He loiters down in that other end of the dugout during games to try to get every advantage that he possibly can. And I think that you see that investment and just understanding the game better pays dividends in nights like tonight," Yeskie said. Evans worked out of the pen for most of 2025 before earning starts late in the year. As a starter, Evans' results were mixed, but he's the third-best pitcher on LSU's staff right now, especially with Cowan struggling. Questions about the rest of the pitching staff Outside of Eyanson, Anderson, and Evans, there are major questions about the LSU pitching staff. Zac Cowan was the SEC's best reliever for most of the year. But in Cowan's last 6.2 innings, his ERA is 14.85. LSU needs Cowan to turn it around. You can't count on Eyanson and Anderson to deliver seven shutout innings every time out. And even if they do, the regional proved you need more than just a couple of arms. It's easy to remember the stars on LSU's 2023 title squad, but LSU also had relievers step up in the postseason. Think back to Nate Ackenhausen pitching six shutout innings vs. Tennessee. LSU needs that type of emergence this June. LSU felt good about starting Jaden Noot on Sunday after Noot pitched four innings of one-run baseball in his SEC Tournament start, but Noot's night was done before the second inning ended. LSU has some things to figure out when it comes to pitching depth. LSU needs Jared Jones to get hot For most of the year, Jared Jones was one of LSU's top sluggers. He's one of the Tigers' most experienced hitters and has 61 career homers. But lately, it's been a struggle. Jones was just 5-20 in the Baton Rouge Regional, which included going 0-5 with three strikeouts vs. Dallas Baptist. Jones was in the No. 2 hole the first three games of the weekend, but Jay Johnson moved Jones to the No. 6 spot on Monday. Jones delivered a bounce-back performance, going 2-5 with a big two-run homer to put the game on ice in the top of the ninth. That's the Jared Jones LSU needs if the Tigers want to make a run at the title. LSU doesn't have game-breaking power throughout the lineup, but Jones can change a game with one swing.
USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
How Auburn baseball has fared historically in the NCAA Super Regionals
How Auburn baseball has fared historically in the NCAA Super Regionals Get ready for this week's Super Regional by re-living Auburn's previous four trips. Auburn baseball is set to compete in the NCAA Super Regionals this weekend against Coastal Carolina for a chance to make another trip to the College World Series. Auburn has competed in the NCAA Super Regionals four times before. However, this year's edition is unique as it will be the first time the Tigers have hosted the appetizer for Omaha at Plainsman Park in Auburn. Auburn earned the right to host this year's supers by clinching the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and sweeping the competition at last weekend's Auburn Regional, outscoring the likes of Central Connecticut, Stetson, and NC State, 28-11. Auburn head coach Butch Thompson was pleased with his team's efforts over the weekend that led to a sweep and another Super Regional appearance. 'Thankful for being able to get through this tough regional,' Thompson said after Auburn's 11-1 win over NC State on Sunday. 'That was a grind for us. Never hosted a super regional before. Pretty excited about that. They fought hard, they were connected. They played a pretty solid three days for us.' Auburn's next super regional appearance will be its fifth all-time, and its fourth since the 2018 season. As you prepare to cheer on the Tigers this weekend, here is a look back at their history in the NCAA Super Regionals Auburn overcomes the West Coast obstacle in 2022 at Oregon State Auburn baseball got the full West Coast treatment in 2022. Not only did Auburn have to travel across the country to battle Oregon State, but two of the three games played in Corvallis began at 9 p.m. CT. The Tigers prevailed, however, winning the Corvallis Super Regional, 2-1, to advance to the College World Series. In the series-clinching win in game three, Auburn slugger Sonny DiChiara hit a two-run home run to put the Tigers on the board, and the combination of Mason Barnett, Carson Skipper, and Blake Burkhalter combined to strike out 14 Beavers to nail down the win. Edouard Julien leads the Tigers' bats to a Super Regional win at North Carolina in 2019 As the kids say, "I know the Tar Heels hate to see Edouard Julien coming." Auburn took two of three games from North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2019 by combining to score 25 runs in its two victories. Julien recorded five hits and six RBI over the weekend, while Ryan Bliss, Conor Davis, and Rankin Woley had strong outings at the plate over the weekend. Auburn's Omaha dreams are bounced in Gainesville in 2018 Auburn baseball breezed through the Raleigh Regional to advance to its first Super Regional in 19 years, meeting up with SEC rival Florida in Gainesville. Florida got the best of Auburn in game one in a battle of current MLB pitchers, Brady Singer and Casey Mize. Singer struck out nine batters and allowed two runs on four hits to help Florida secure the 8-2 victory over the Tigers. Auburn responded by winning game two, 3-2, thanks to a Luke Jarvis home run in the top of the 9th inning. Game three between the Tigers and Gators was a classic that ended in a heartbreaking way for Auburn. Tied 2-2 in the 11th inning, Florida's Austin Langworthy hit a ball to deep right field. Auburn right fielder Steven Williams jumped to catch the ball, but it bounced out of his glove and landed beyond the short porch, giving the Gators the close win. The Noles bash Auburn on the way to Omaha in 1999 Auburn won 46 games during the 1999 campaign, and made its first-ever Super Regional appearance in Tallahassee. The Seminoles did not make it easy on Auburn as they swept the Tigers in two games. Florida State went on to be the national runner-ups that season, losing to rival Miami in the finals. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. hit a historic home run that flew under the radar Friday
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hits a home run during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium. When Royals Stadium opened on April 10, 1973, John Mayberry hit the first home run in the franchise's new ballpark. Since that night, the ballpark was been renamed as Kauffman Stadium, and the Royals have won a pair of World Series championships. And they are currently searching for a new home, so their days at Kauffman Stadium are numbered. Advertisement Through the years, many incredible players have called the ballpark their home. Those names include George Brett, Amos Otis, Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon and Bobby Witt Jr. The latter hit a significant home run Friday night in the Royals' game against the Detroit Tigers. Witt clubbed a 442-foot home run off Casey Mize in the first inning with the ball landing in the water in left-center field. Only later did we learn that it was the 3,000th home run to be hit by a Kansas City player in the history of Royals/Kauffman Stadium. That's according to Ian Kraft, the Royals' assistant director of media relations, who shared that fact a few hours after Witt's blast. Even though the ball landed in the water, the Royals were able to fish it out, and it's headed for the team's hall of fame. Advertisement That wasn't the only noteworthy accomplishment of the night. In the third inning, Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit a double, which was the 300th of his career. He's only the sixth player in Royals history to reach that milestone.
