San Francisco Giants vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Predictions May 20th 2025

Giants vs Royals

The San Francisco Giants tinker with their rotation by starting Hayden Birdsong against the Kansas City Royals at Oracle Park on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:15 PM PT. Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 68°F and an evening low of 51°F.

Birdsong Steps Up

Right-hander Hayden Birdsong (1-0, 2.31 ERA) makes his first career start after 11 relief outings. Despite a rough three-inning stint in Arizona, he’s allowed only three earned runs over his first 10 appearances and offers fresh arms in the Giants’ five-man rotation.

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Royals’ Veteran Presence

Kansas City counters with Michael Lorenzen (3-4, 3.76 ERA), who has yet to beat San Francisco in 10 career games (four starts). Lorenzen will look to leverage his experience against a lineup eager to support a revamped rotation spot.

Pitching Consistency

The Giants have combined to allow just three runs over 25 innings from their starters (Webb, Roupp, Verlander, Ray). Meanwhile, Royals arms (Cameron, Wacha, Bubic) have surrendered two runs in 18 ⅓ innings across their last three outings, highlighting two staffs on hot streaks.

X-Factors and Strategy

Oracle Park’s dimensions and wind patterns favor fly-ball pitchers—both Birdsong and Lorenzen must adjust accordingly. Monitor bullpen usage: an opener-like relief pattern could emerge if Birdsong exits early, and Kansas City’s depth will be tested late.

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Backing the Giants in front of their home crowd offers promise given Birdsong’s fresh arm and San Francisco’s starter dominance. For alternate action, consider the under on total runs—both staffs have excelled at suppressing scoring in recent outings.