Acrobatic first pitch part of Cirque du PETCO | MLB.com: News

By Mark Thompson / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres welcomed 10 artists from the resident production of KA by Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand in Las Vegas to PETCO Park on Monday for the Padres' contest with the Royals.

It's the first performance by the KA artists, who participated in pregame elements like a brief performance before the game, the ceremonial first pitch, the national anthem and tossing T-shirts to fans during the seventh-inning stretch.

KA is a gravity-defying production that features a blend of high-flying feats, puppetry, projections and martial arts.

Gabryel Nogueira da Silva handled ceremonial first pitch honors by doing an acrobatic 360-degree backflip on the mound and subsequently throwing a strike.

Padres fans who purchased game tickets with the promotional code CIRQUE had the opportunity to meet the artists in specially designated sections of the ballpark.

Mark Thompson is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.