D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps in solidarity with the team they were facing, the Giants debuted Rookie Night on Friday.
A rookie, formerly struggling starter passed the baton to a rookie, former minor league lifer reliever, who passed the baton to a rookie, former rotation member who’s now a closer.
And facing the technically major league Marlins, they never blinked.
Tyler Beede was brilliant through 6 1/3 innings, everything working for the hard-thrower, Tyler Rogers was perfect for 1 2/3 innings, his submarine delivery and swerving sliders offering an apt appetizer for Shaun Anderson’s mid-90s fastball and 90-mph slider, keeping the Marlins constantly off-balance in the Giants’ 1-0 win at Oracle Park.
Beede faced the minimum until the fourth and allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out five. He had been dreadful from six starts from July 24-Aug. 20, putting up an 8.23 ERA in all Giants losses. He said he was “tremendously thankful” for the Giants sticking with him through the struggles.
“That’s probably the best I’ve seen him,” was Anderson’s critique of Beede, his former rotation mate with both the San Francisco Giants and Sacramento River Cats. “He was just getting ahead of all the guys. He’s put the work in.”
After Beede allowed a one-out walk in the seventh, Bruce Bochy visited the mound and “Yellow Submarine” began blaring — a recent pivot from Rogers, who said Will Smith suggested it and when Will Smith suggests that, “I don’t think I can say no.”
We all live in a yellow submarine…#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/QAbhO8o1RF
— KNBR (@KNBR) September 14, 2019
Facing two actual professional hitters, Rogers got Starlin Castro to fly out before striking out Neil Walker to escape the jam. Rogers, who had been looked over in the minors since 2013, then struck out two in a perfect eighth inning.
“Those guys have been super impressive all year,” was Beede’s critique of Anderson and Rogers. “Rog, the patience that he’s had his whole career in the minor leagues, I’m super happy for him to come up here and continue to be Tyler Rogers.”
“He’s finally getting this opportunity,” Bochy added, “and he’s running with it.”
Once his running was through, Rogers took the baton and handed off to Anderson, who closed at the University of Florida and not again until Tuesday, when the former rotation piece filled in ably for Will Smith.
Anderson allowed a leadoff single to Curtis Granderson, but then induced Miguel Rojas into a double play. He then struck out Austin Dean on a nasty slider to finish it off.
“I didn’t even realize that,” Anderson said, asked about the all-rookie game. “But it’s pretty cool to think about.”