As Juan Perez prepared for a possible spot role for the San Francisco Giants in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday night, he learned of the tragic death of his friend, Oscar Taveras.

Perez and Taveras had been close in the Dominican Republic, playing winter ball together. He knows the Taveras family very well.

After mourning a bit, Perez hid his emotions from Bruce Bochy and entered in the sixth inning as a pinch-runner. He wound up contributing much more, making a key defensive play and hitting the two-run double that broke open San Francisco's 5-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

"What a game he gave us," Bochy said.