Heliot Ramos hit 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run to help the San Francisco Giants to a 2-1 victory over the host Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Mason Black pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his first major league win. Patrick Bailey also scored a run and the Giants (75-79) won for the third time in the last four games.

Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits for Kansas City, raising his major league average to .334. The Royals have lost five straight games and 14 of their last 21 games, but remain in the American League’s second wild-card spot.

Kansas City became dangerous in the ninth inning when Giants closer Camilo Doval threw eight balls in a row to Yuli Gurriel and Robbie Grossman to start the inning.

Adam Frazier struck out before Maikel Garcia hit a grounder to shortstop. Tyler Fitzgerald couldn’t get the ball out of his glove and Grossman preempted his throw to second base to load the bases.

Garrett Hampson then hit a liner down third base that was just a foul – it would have tied it at least – before hitting a sacrifice fly to right that scored Gurriel. Doval then struck out Tommy Pham for his 23rd save.

Ramos was one home run short of the cycle and Casey Schmitt had two more hits for the Giants.

Black (1-4) managed four strikeouts and allowed four hits and a walk. Sean Hjelle got the last out in the sixth, Erik Miller got two strikeouts in the seventh and Tyler Rogers avoided a hit by Witt in the eighth to keep the Royals off the scoreboard.

Kansas City’s Michael Wacha (13-8) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five times and walking once while losing for just the second time in his last 11 decisions.

San Francisco’s Mike Yastrzemski opened the game with a single and Mark Canha followed with a walk. Yastrzemski reached third base on a flyout before Ramos got on base with an infield hit and Yastrzemski scored.

San Francisco added another run in the sixth inning. Ramos hit a two-out double to center and scored when Patrick Bailey hit a ground single through the right side to end Wacha’s night.

Witt hit a single to open Kansas City’s sixth inning, and Black retired the next two batters. The final blow, however, was Michael Massey’s deep fly to the warning track in right, and Giants manager Bob Melvin quickly came out to take Black off the field.

Hjelle knocked Gurriel out with a grounder, ending the inning.

–Field level media