Major League Baseball

Padres' Gyorko goes Willie Mays on Giants, setting stage for win

Published Apr. 11, 2015 6:09 a.m. ET

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Sometimes great defense can spur great offense. And that's exactly what happened Friday night in San Diego's 1-0 victory over the defending champion San Francisco Giants.

With nobody out in the top of the eighth inning of a scoreless game, Giants outfielder Gregor Blanco hit a pop fly to shallow center field that appeared to have a chance at dropping in for a hit. Enter Padres second baseman Jedd Gyorko to save the day Willie Mays-style with his leather, as the video shows. (Note the guy with the beer cheering afterward.)

San Diego got the final two outs of the inning uneventfully, then scored the only run of the game on Wil Myers' RBI double off the right-field wall that scored Clint Barmes from first base.

The relay throw to the plate from Giants second baseman Joe Panik was up the third base-line and Barmes ran into catcher Hector Sanchez's arm before he could field the ball, knocking his glove several yards down the first-base line. Sanchez was shaken up but stayed in the game.

"As soon as I hit it and I was running to first base I was screaming at him, 'Run,'" Myers said. "It was good baserunning on his part."

The run snapped the Padres' 22-inning scoreless streak dating to Wednesday night at Los Angeles. The Padres lost 1-0 to the Giants in 12 innings in their home opener on Thursday.

Newly-acquired All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth to shut the door, getting a groundout and a double play to notch his first save with the Padres.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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