GIANTS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO 7 GAMES
SAN FRANCISCO — It was not as unexpected or shocking as Chris Heston’s no-hitter against the New York Mets in 2015.
It was not as historically significant as Madison Bumgarner’s dazzling shutout of the Mets in the 2016 National League Wild Card game.
The best start of Tyler Beede’s career didn’t even end with Beede earning credit for a win, but it showed why the San Francisco Giants consider themselves a serious threat in the race for a postseason berth.
San Francisco improved to .500 for the first time since Opening Day with a wild, 1-0 walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th inning.
With Alex Dickerson standing on first base, Pablo Sandoval hit a routine flyball out to left field that resulted in a miscommunication and a stunning error from left fielder Dominic Smith that allowed Dickerson to race around and score the game-winning run.
Beede set a new career-high with eight shutout innings, surrendering just three hits while striking out five in a masterful outing that required just 89 pitches. The Giants mobbed Sandoval after his can of corn dropped out in left field, but the celebration wouldn’t have taken place without a brilliant outing from Beede.
For the second straight night, the Giants and Mets went to extra innings as both teams failed to score in the first nine frames.
After four games in three days at Coors Field, the Giants arrived home on Thursday and played a 16-inning game against the Mets that taxed an already exhausted bullpen.
The Giants optioned left-hander Williams Jerez to Triple-A immediately following his first career victory on Thursday to add an additional long man in Ty Blach, but the team needed Beede to pitch deep into Friday’s game.
The rookie right-hander obliged.
Beede allowed a leadoff single to Mets right fielder Jeff McNeil to open the game, but retired the side in order in the first inning on 12 pitches. That was the most Beede needed to complete an inning until he threw 13 in the top of the seventh.
Even after issuing his first walk since June 27 to Mets starter Jacob deGrom in the top of the sixth, Beede induced a pair of flyouts on his next two pitches and struck out slugger Pete Alonso on four pitches to end the inning.
Beede demonstrated remarkable command throughout the night as he relentlessly attacked the strike zone and consistently made quick work of New York’s hitters.
Despite dealing with a high pitch count in the middle innings, deGrom was equally effective against the Giants as the veteran right-hander tossed seven shutout frames while allowing just three hits. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner recorded the 38th 10strikeout game of his career and the sixth of his season when he fanned catcher Stephen Vogt with a pair of runners on to escape the sixth inning.
The Mets turned to their bullpen in the bottom of the eighth after Beede walked off the mound to a loud standing ovation from the crowd at Oracle Park.
Six weeks after allowing six runs over five innings against the Mets in a 7-0 loss at Citi Field, Beede looked like a completely different pitcher against a New York offense that was overwhelmed for much of the night.