Tyler Beede breaks through, Giants’ patience rewarded at end of seven-game skid

Tyler Beede turned in what was easily the best outing of his brief major league career in a breakout performance against the Miami Marlins.

MIAMI — It is not easy to have patience in times of trouble, but in Thursday’s series finale against the Marlins, the Giants proved why patience is so valuable.

The Giants believed Tyler Beede was capable of throwing quality innings in the big leagues. They believed a slumping Brandon Crawford was due for a big hit. And they believed that despite plenty of evidence suggesting otherwise, their miserable play of late would soon improve.

At the end of a disastrous seven-game losing streak, all of that patience paid off in a 3-1 win over the Marlins.

With six solid innings from Beede and a pair of extra-base hits from Crawford including a go-ahead two-run double off left-handed reliever Wei-Yin Chen, one of the most miserable weeks of the Bruce Bochy era finally came to an end.

From the moment Beede, 26, threw his first bullpen in Scottsdale during spring training, the Giants felt their 2014 first round draft choice was a completely different pitcher.

Beede bounced around the clubhouse this spring with poise and confidence and matched his attitude with dominant performances when he took the mound. The Giants didn’t have a roster spot for the right-hander in their bullpen or rotation, but felt it wouldn’t be long before his efforts at Triple-A Sacramento would merit another look in the big leagues.

Less than a year after Beede was removed from the Triple-A rotation and banished to the bullpen, he earned a promotion to start against the Reds on May 3 at Great American Ball Park.

It was a complete disaster.

Beede allowed eight runs on seven hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings and was optioned back to Sacramento immediately following the game. The righty was promoted again within the week, but was sent down again after pitching behind “opener” Nick Vincnet in a 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays on May 14.

Following two more strong outings at Triple-A and continued struggles from their starting rotation, the Giants gave Beede another shot to prove himself on Thursday in Miami.

He aced the test.

With a fastball that hovered around 94 miles per hour for much of the day and offspeed pitches that routinely kept the Marlins off balance, Beede allowed just one run in a career-high six innings. His biggest mistake came with two outs in the second as he followed up an intentional walk to catcher Bryan Holaday by allowing an RBI single to his opposing starter, Sandy Alcantara.

Outside of that miscue, Beede handled the Marlins with relative ease and grew more comfortable as he worked deeper into the game. After inducing a 1-4-3 double play to end the sixth, Beede erupted with a fist pump and received hugs from several teammates in the visiting dugout.

He also received a run of support.

Thanks to a Crawford double and a single that produced the first RBI of Mike Yastrzemski’s major league career, the Giants tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the seventh. The double off a 97-mile per hour fastball from Tayron Guerrero to dead center field marked Crawford’s first hit against a pitch that registered above 95 miles per hour this season.

An inning later, Marlins manager Don Mattingly called on Chen to create a favorable matchup with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game. After laying off a first pitch curveball, Crawford drilled a line drive into the gap that hopped over the right center field wall to give the Giants a 3-1 advantage and their first lead since they led 1-0 in the first inning of Tuesday’s series opener.

After Beede exited, relievers Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson and Will Smith held the Marlins scoreless the rest of the way.