SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants have no choice but to play spoiler at this point, and it seems they are doing it pretty well.
After winning two of three games against the Baltimore Orioles to dent their AL East hopes, the Giants won the first game of the series on Friday against a Kansas City Royals team fighting to win the AL wild-card race. Mason Black had his best start as a major leaguer and Heliot Ramos flirted with another unlikely success as the Giants earned a 2-1 victory in just their second visit to Kauffman Stadium since the 2014 World Series.
Ramos had a chance to cycle in his last at-bat, but flew out to left. With a home run, he would have become the first Giant to cycle since Pablo Sandoval in 2011.
The loss puts the Royals back in a tie with former Giants general manager Scott Harris’ Detroit Tigers and into the finals of the American League playoffs. The Giants improved their record to 3-1 in perhaps their toughest road game of the season.
Mason’s Momentum
The injuries in the rotation have allowed Black and Landen Roupp to be in the starting lineup in September, and both have benefited. Black pitched for the first time in the major leagues in the sixth inning and finished with 5 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed four hits, walked one and had four strikeouts.
The Black who emerged in September is different from the one who struggled earlier this year. His slider was his primary pitch earlier this year, but in this current lineup, he has his sights set on the fastball. On Friday, he threw his four-seamer and sinker 65 percent of the time, hitting a season-high 95.3 mph. Black threw three pitches at 95 mph on Friday after doing so just twice in his first seven major league appearances.
Way
Friday’s starting lineup would have been unthinkable in the spring. Mark Canha, acquired at the trade deadline, was at first base. Marco Luciano was at second base, continuing the transition from shortstop that he is undergoing in the major leagues. On the left side were Casey Schmitt (replacing Matt Chapman, who is on the paternity list) and Brett Wisely (replacing Tyler Fitzgerald, who replaced Nick Ahmed, who was acquired because the Giants didn’t want Luciano at shortstop). Regardless, Wisely made a great move to back up his starting pitcher:
Back in the ninth
Ryan Walker is the second-most used player in the NL and the Giants didn’t want to use him for a third straight day, especially after he needed 23 pitches in Thursday’s game. That left the ninth day for Camilo Doval, who got his first save opportunity since being relieved of his role and sent to the minor leagues in early August.
It’s been a wild ride, man.
Doval opened the ninth inning with five straight balls, prompting pitching coach Bryan Price to call into the bullpen and bring in Tristan Beck. When he threw a sixth ball, Price and assistant pitching coach JP Martinez came out for a meeting.
Doval walked the first two batters of the inning before striking out veteran Adam Frazier. Garrett Hampson hit balls down the left field line twice, but both were just wide and he ended up with a sacrifice fly. With the tying run on third base, Doval struck out Tommy Pham for his 23rd save of the season.
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