ST. LOUIS -- Tyler Beede tiptoed closer to unchartered territory on Monday. If only the journey were a bit less bumpy.

Beede lasted four innings in a 3-1 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, where the Giants -- with their postseason hopes fading -- opened a four-game series in their penultimate road trip of the season. The defeat dropped the club to four games below .500 and eight back of the second National League Wild Card spot.

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Nine losses over their past 12 games prompted the Giants to begin focusing their attention beyond the 2019 season. Within that context, Mauricio Dubon, with his first Major League homer, provided a bright spot in the Labor Day matinee. Beede, however, couldn’t hurdle some of the same roadblocks that have stalled his progress since the All-Star break.

The Giants have lost each of Beede’s past eight starts, during which the rookie right-hander has gone 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA on the road.

“The biggest common thread is just his command,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You saw their guy, [Adam Wainwright], he was strike one for the most part. He was ahead in the count. We were getting behind, throwing a lot of pitches, having trouble with the secondary pitches.”

Beede’s intent was to establish his curveball early, as he thought that could exploit a Cardinals offense that has hit .219 (23rd in MLB) on that pitch this season. Trouble was, Beede couldn’t throw any of his offspeed pitches for consistent strikes early.

The Cardinals subsequently ambushed Beede with a Dexter Fowler single and a Kolten Wong triple to open the game. Nine pitches into his start, Beede found himself trailing, 2-0. He stranded two runners to wiggle out of the 26-pitch frame without more damage, but the feeling was far too familiar.

Beede has been stung for 18 first-inning runs in 18 starts this season. Opponents are batting .333 against him in that frame.

“It’s something I’ll take a look at and see if there’s anything consistent throughout,” Beede said after his sixth straight losing decision. “I have to come out of the gates and have a little bit of a more efficient first inning that sets the tone for me going forward. But there’s a lot of things that I can control, and I think just continuing to go out and attack will be my goal and plan of focus moving forward.”

Beede’s finish was something to build off of, as he retired 10 of his final 12 batters. His outing would have extended at least into the fifth, too, had Bochy not needed to try and capitalize on a run-scoring opportunity with his team in an early three-run hole.

With 131 innings logged between Triple-A Sacramento and the Majors this season, Beede has already thrown more than in any season except 2016, when he finished with 147 1/3 innings pitched in Double-A. That year -- and every other one to this point for the former first-rounder -- has ended in early September. That’s why the Giants will be particularly attentive to seeing how Beede manages the additional workload included in the Major League calendar.

“Certainly, I don’t want to go out there and put us in a hole and lose games, but body feels great, arm feels even better,” Beede said. “It’s my first year. I’m learning a lot. And so I’ll just continue to go out there as many times as they give me the ball and keep competing and doing what I can to keep us in position to win.”

The Giants have the flexibility to push pause on Beede’s run in the rotation if they want, as Johnny Cueto is poised to return from the injured list later this week. The club hasn’t yet tipped its hand as to whether Beede’s spot could be in jeopardy with that move.

Dubon involved in another trade

It took a bit of bartering, but Dubon will be leaving St. Louis with a memento of his first career big league homer.

The team’s No. 8 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, lofted a Giovanny Gallegos slider into the third deck of the left-field stands to open the eighth inning. It was Dubon’s first homer in 15 Major League at-bats, as well as his second extra-base hit of the day.

“Never in my life did I think I was going to hit it to Big Mac one day,” said Dubon, who has started four games since being recalled by the Giants on Aug. 27. “It was special.”

The club facilitated the return of the ball, and after the game, Dubon met the Cardinals fans who caught it. In exchange for getting the ball back, he presented the family with an autographed bat.

“They were pretty nice about giving me the ball,” he said. “I’m really appreciative of that.”