Here are SF's best defensive plays of the '10s

It’s tempting to dedicate this entire piece to shortstop Brandon Crawford, who won three consecutive National League Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence from 2015-17 and made hundreds of plays throughout the span of this decade that required him to handle a bad-hop grounder, range far to either side to corral a ground ball or make a barehanded pickup.

But that would mean slighting numerous other Giants who contributed heavily on defense and helped San Francisco reach the postseason four times and win three World Series over the past 10 years.

Here’s a look at the Giants’ Top 10 plays for the decade:

1. Blanco preserves perfection
June 13, 2012

Grégor Blanco outran Jordan Schafer’s drive at the right-center-field warning track and made the diving catch that kept Houston hitless through 6 1/3 innings. Giants right-hander Matt Cain did the rest in fashioning the 23rd perfect game in history.

2. Panik creates Fall Classic gem
Oct. 29, 2014

Second baseman Joe Panik stopped a Kansas City rally before it started in World Series Game 7 by diving for Eric Hosmer’s fourth-inning ground ball to initiate a double play. Madison Bumgarner entered the game in the fifth inning. You know what happened next.

3. Double cutoff provides singular highlight
Oct. 25, 2012

Just like they practiced it in Spring Training, second baseman Marco Scutaro and Crawford aligned themselves to take Blanco’s throw after Delmon Young lashed a second-inning double. Scutaro took the throw and unleashed a powerful peg of his own to retire Prince Fielder at home plate in Game 2 of the World Series.

4. Versatility, thy name is Panik
May 7, 2016

After diving to snare Gerardo Parra’s grounder, Panik used a basketball-style hook-shot motion to flip the ball to Crawford for a forceout at second base that ended the 13th inning. The Giants won it in the bottom of the frame, 2-1.

5. What’s foul is fair
Aug. 28, 2012

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval couldn't hold onto Jason Castro’s first-inning foul popup against the Astros at Minute Maid Park, but Crawford was right there to snare the ball in fair territory and record the out.

6. Crawford scores on fly pattern
May 20, 2017

Crawford summoned the skills that made him an accomplished wide receiver in high school football by loping into center field to grab Dexter Fowler’s first-inning fly ball. Crawford displayed not only athleticism but also concentration, since Panik, center fielder Denard Span and right fielder Mac Williamson also were converging on the ball.

7. Surprise -- you’re out
June 13, 2016

Crawford demonstrated sheer baseball instinct on this play, which was the kind of thing Omar Vizquel did routinely. Milwaukee’s Ramón Flores tried to advance from second base on a grounder up the middle and assumed Crawford would ignore him. Instead, Crawford retired him with a relatively simple throw, since he correctly sensed Flores’ nonchalance.

8. A two-play "entry" helps Timmy
July 13, 2013

Tim Lincecum’s defenders had his back against the Padres at Petco Park when he threw his first career no-hitter. Sandoval fielded Jesus Guzman’s grounder behind third base, and he made the long throw in time to end the seventh inning.

Then right fielder Hunter Pence went all out to make a sprawling catch of Alexi Amarista’s eighth-inning line drive to prevent a base hit.

9. Beware of Buster
April 24, 2017

Justin Turner learned all about catcher Buster Posey’s arm strength in this episode of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. Representing the potential tying run, Turner advanced to second base on Mark Melancon’s wild pitch. But he then strayed a little too far from the bag and was picked off by Posey, sealing the Giants’ 2-1 win.

10. A man of his word
Oct. 9, 2012

Pence left his feet to catch Ryan Hanigan’s line drive to begin the second inning of Game 3 of the NL Division Series. It wasn’t an exceedingly spectacular play; in fact, the ball would have landed in foul territory. But Pence’s determined effort echoed the theme of his pregame speech, in which he implored teammates to keep playing hard despite the 2-0 deficit they faced in the best-of-five series against the Reds. The rest is history: the Giants won this game in 10 innings, 2-1, launching their streak of six straight victories in elimination games that carried them to the World Series.