San Francisco Giants’ Five Best Defensive Plays of 2015

Juan Perez Robs Stephen Piscotty

Aug 19, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Juan Perez (2) climbs the wall and robs St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty (not pictured) of a home run during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Another player who ended up playing a larger role in the Giants’ lineup than anticipated was Juan Perez, who replaced the often-injured Angel Pagan in center field. He also occasionally spent time in left field as the Giants went through a constantly rotating cast of corner outfielders.

He was frequently brought in as a defensive replacement, though he did get opportunities to start throughout the season as well. On August 19th during one of those starts in center field, Perez prevented Stephen Piscotty from hitting a home run by making this extraordinary catch.

Perez was able to turn his back on the ball, scale the wall and then make the basket catch while seemingly hovering in midair. Though the Giants would go on to lose the game, Perez’s catch helped ensure Matt Cain of making a quality start and kept the scoring to a minimum.

Live Feed

FanSided

It was somewhat fitting that Perez robbed Piscotty of the long ball, as the Giants and Cardinals are often compared to each other based on the depth, quality of their farm systems and scouting departments. In this instance it was Perez, the utility outfielder in the lineup because of injury, robbing Piscotty, the rookie outfielder brought up because of injury, of a home run.

This was one of the plays of the year, not only because of its importance in the context of the game, but also because of the sheer brilliance of the play itself. It truly showcased Perez’s athleticism and his instincts in the outfield as well as his ability to make plays happen from anywhere on the field, even at the top of the wall.

Next: Madison Bumgarner's Spin-o-rama