KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals’ late-season losing streak stretched to five on Friday night with a 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, who got three hits from Heliot Ramos.
Kansas City dropped four games behind Baltimore for the first AL wild card spot and saw its lead cut to one game over Minnesota for the second of the three wild cards.
Mason Black (1-4) pitched shutout ball over a career-high 5 2/3 innings for already eliminated San Francisco, limiting the Royals to four hits. Camilo Doval allowed Garrett Hampson’s sacrifice fly before striking out Tommy Pham with runners on second and third to get his 23rd save in 28 chances.
Kansas City went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners.
Michael Wacha (13-8) gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, dropping to 9-2 in 15 starts since June 22.
Mike Yastrzemski led off the first with a bloop single, advanced to second on a walk and to third on a flyout, then scored on Ramos’ infield hit.
Ramos hit a two-out double to the wall in right-center in the sixth and scored on Patrick Bailey’s single for a 2-0 lead.
Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday with right-shoulder inflammation and right-hander Austin Warren was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento.
UP NEXT
In a game moved up to 4:10 p.m. CDT because of a forecast of bad weather, San Francisco RHP Landen Roupp (0-1, 3.02 ERA) is to start Saturday against Kansas CIty RHP Brady Singer (9-11, 3.53 ERA).
