http://0rz.tw/f77df Giants steal, squeeze their way to win in 11th By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 7/17/2011 10:26 PM ET SAN DIEGO -- The Giants employed an offensive style from the dead-ball era yet rarely looked more alive than they did Sunday in their 4-3, 11-inning win over the San Diego Padres. Chris Stewart executed a suicide-squeeze bunt with one out in the 11th inning to break a 3-3 tie. Stewart drove in Emmanuel Burriss, who recorded two of the team's six stolen bases -- matching the highest single-game total since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. The Giants hadn't amassed six thefts in a game since Sept. 8, 1987, at Houston. Burriss noted that the Giants adapted the style favored by the Padres, who lead the National League with 95 stolen bases. "When in Rome, sometimes you do what you have to do," Burriss said. The Giants realize that winning tops their to-do list. They captured three of four games in this series and emerged from it with a 3 1/2-game lead over second-place Arizona in the NL West. "We always want to take home the series," closer Brian Wilson said. "We don't want to come in and win two, lose two -- even though, on the road, that's the ideal formula. It's crunch time. It's the second half of the season. We don't want to come into September going, 'Wow, we have to play 20-10 baseball.' There's a little sense of urgency here. I think a lot of the players know it. I think that's why we stole six bags today." Burriss' larceny proved most effective in the 11th after he grounded a one-out single up the middle off Chad Qualls with the score knotted at 3. Burriss stole second base on a pitchout and proceeded to third when catcher Kyle Phillips' throw darted into center field. The Padres suspected that Stewart might attempt a squeeze and called for back-to-back pitchouts. Giants manager Bruce Bochy responded by ordering the squeeze on the very next delivery -- a 2-1 fastball that Stewart deftly tapped up the third-base line as Burriss charged home. The Padres had no play on Burriss and had to settle for throwing out Stewart at first base. "We had the right guy up there," Bochy said, referring to Stewart's bunting skill. Said Stewart, who has spent the vast majority of his 10-year professional career in the Minor Leagues, "I'm not one to go up there and hit a three-run homer, so I better be able to do something else." In fact, Stewart did even more. Relieving Javier Lopez, who blanked San Diego for two innings, Wilson walked Ryan Ludwick and Orlando Hudson to open the Padres' half of the 11th. Phillips attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Stewart pounced on the ball and whipped it to third base for a force out on Ludwick. It became a double play as Pablo Sandoval unleashed a throw to first base to retire Phillips. Wilson walked Logan Forsythe before sealing his 28th save by coaxing Alberto Gonzalez's grounder for a fielder's choice. Bochy was effusive in his praise for Stewart and Sandoval, who collaborated on the double play about as smoothly as possible. "That was electric," Bochy said. Even San Diego starter Mat Latos, who has been known to direct a snide remark or two in the Giants' direction, complimented them. "They have veteran guys, veteran hitters. They know what they're doing," Latos said. "They go up there with a plan every time and execute it." True to form, Latos didn't stop there. "I feel like I did a really good job," said the right-hander, who yielded three runs in seven innings. "There was nothing but weak ground balls and weak line drives that found their way through." The Giants' lone complaint revolved around the sixth inning, when San Diego scored twice to edge ahead, 3-2. With one out, Matt Cain struck out Everth Cabrera. But the third strike bounced in the dirt and Cabrera beat catcher Eli Whiteside's throw to first base. Whiteside believed that Cabrera foul-tipped the third strike into his glove and therefore he didn't have to throw to first. But home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson insisted -- and television replays appeared to confirm -- that the ball struck the dirt before settling into Whiteside's glove, requiring a throw. The Padres capitalized on the break as Cameron Maybin singled, Ludwick was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Hudson drilled a two-run single up the middle. Whiteside admitted that he shouldn't have wasted time jawing with Hudson. "I should have thrown the ball no matter what," he said. "I'm just glad that it didn't cost us the ballgame." It didn't, because Whiteside atoned one inning later. He reached first on a fielder's choice, darted to second base with his second career steal and scored the tying run on Andres Torres' two-out single. "That's one of those games where you say, 'All's well that ends well' if you win it," Bochy said. "Because we made a couple of mistakes out there early." Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. --

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