GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Tyler Beede's two scoreless innings for the Giants in their 9-5 win over the Reds on Sunday won't catapult him into the thick of the competition for the fifth spot in the starting rotation.
But it should cause the Giants' decision-makers -- who already regard Beede as essential to the franchise's future success -- to continue to watch the 23-year-old right-hander even more closely, as he progresses toward the berth in the rotation that he should likely claim in the future.
Beede, the club's No. 2 prospect per MLBPipeline.com, displayed a veteran's toughness in his spring debut when he coaxed a harmless grounder to shortstop from Joey Votto with two runners on and two outs in the fourth inning.
"I felt comfortable," said Beede, who surrendered two hits and walked one. "That's huge, in simplifying things and repeating my pitches."

By his own admission, Beede lacked his best stuff. He used his slider, changeup and four-seam fastball effectively, but couldn't command his curveball, which is his favorite "out" pitch. Of course, being able to blank the Reds without his primary weapon demonstrated Beede's progress.
Beede's progression accelerated last season, when he finished 8-7 in 24 starts for Double-A Richmond and led the Eastern League with a 2.81 ERA.
"Having that year of consistency, building confidence and having a year of success allows me to come in and really know that I can trust the process I've been going after the last 12 months," Beede said.
Though Beede has been mentioned as a peripheral candidate for the fifth-starter role, he refuses to let such talk distract him.
"I try not to put too much pressure on myself to think about that," Beede said. "I know there's a competition, but for me, realistically, I'm thinking [Triple-A] Sacramento is where I'm going to land. It's better for me in preparation."