SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants outfielder Angel Pagan is hosting a taco party on Tuesday.
Everyone in America is invited.
With his stolen base in the eighth inning of Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night at AT&T Park, Pagan won everyone in the country a free Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell. You can pick yours up at any participating Taco Bell between 2-6 p.m. local time on Tuesday only.
"Yeah, I just found out about that. I'm pretty happy," Pagan said in front of his locker after the Giants' 2-0 victory over the Tigers, when asked about feeding a nation. "I was just trying to play the game hard -- try to create a situation for us to score. And after the game, they told me about that, so I feel happy."
Does Pagan like Taco Bell?
"I love Taco Bell," he said. "I do. Doritos, tacos, name it."
When told it was a Doritos Locos Taco, Pagan said, "That's good. I hope people like it."
Will Pagan claim his free taco, too?
"Of course," he said. "They gotta bring it over here, I'm hungry right now."
At this point, of course, the question is whether the World Series will still be under way on Tuesday when tacos are handed out. The series now shifts to Detroit for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Sunday, and, if necessary, Game 5 on Monday, so Tuesday would be a workout day ... or the offseason.
Pagan's stolen base did not ultimately make a difference, as it allowed him to move into scoring position and score the Giants' second run on Hunter Pence's sacrifice fly. But it was a good example of how difficult it was to produce offense in this game.
Pagan led off the eighth by drawing a walk on four straight fastballs from reliever Drew Smyly. The pitcher immediately went to first with a pickoff attempt during Marco Scutaro's subsequent at-bat, and then another before Scutaro struck out. Neither pickoff attempt fazed Pagan, who stole 29 bases in 36 attempts during the regular season.
With Game 1 hero Pablo Sandoval batting, Pagan bolted for second. Catcher Gerald Laird's throw to second was a split-second too late, as replays showed Pagan just reach his hand into the bag first. Then Sandoval was intentionally walked.
"It was a situation for me to put myself into scoring position, and I just went for it," Pagan said. "[Smyly] didn't show me a good move, and when I saw him going to home plate, it gave myself an opportunity to go."
Taco Bell had promised with its "Steal A Base, Steal A Taco" offer that if any player stole a base during this World Series, it would give away its best-selling taco to everyone in America.
"Every time a runner got on base, we were rooting alongside fans for that stolen base," said Brian Niccol, chief marketing and innovation officer for Taco Bell. "Here's to the Giants' Angel Pagan for making a big play for their team and scoring the entire country free Doritos Locos Tacos."
Ashley Chavez, one of three remaining fans in the MLB Fan Cave and a Giants diehard, thanked Pagan on behalf of all taco-eating fans as she left the stadium.
"I was only hoping that it would be a Giant that got the stolen base so I could be like, 'Thank you,'" Chavez said. "You guys can thank the Giants for getting all of y'all tacos. Now the Giants give all of America tacos, not just Denver. We win again."
