Kansas City Royals starter Kris Bubic (50) had a no hit bid going into the sixth inning but lost it on a Wilmer Flores base hit at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Monday May 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

Monday, May 19, 2025

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Kansas City Royals 3 (27-22)

San Francisco Giants 1 (28-20)

Win: Kris Bubic (3-0)

Loss: Tyler Rogers (2-2)

Save: Carlos Estevez (14)

Time: 2:24

Attendance: 28,432

By Stephen Ruderman

Kris Bubic shut down the Giants’ offense, and Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run home run off of Tyler Rogers in the top of the eighth inning to carry the Royals to a 3-1 win in the series opener.

The Giants were riding high off their sweep of the A’s over the weekend. Monday night, they welcomed the Kansas Royals to Oracle Park for a 2014 World Series rematch, and they looked to return to their season-high ten games over .500. Robbie Ray, who came in 6-0, was on the mound, and the Giants were 9-0 in his starts.

Ray was his usual self Monday night. He had to work around a couple of jams, but he struck out seven over seven shutout innings. 

Ray was good Monday night, but Kris Bubic, the young left-hander who took the ball for Kansas City, was lights out. Bubic took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, which ended with a two-out base-hit by Wilmer Flores.

The Giants finally had their first rally of the night going against Bubic in the bottom of the seventh. Willy Adames walked with one out, and Casey Schmitt, who was activated off the injured list prior to the game, roped a double down the left field line to put runners at second and third with one out. 

Tyler Fitzgerald came up and hit a bullet, but it was right to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Adames, who had no time to react, was doubled off third to end the inning. It was just bad luck. Fitzgerald hit the ball on the screws, but just to the wrong place. That’s baseball, and that is why certain things like exit velocity don’t always mean everything.

That did it for Bubic, who only gave up two hits over seven shutout innings. He walked three, and he struck out five.

The bad luck that bit the Giants in the bottom of the seventh would rear its head in the top of the eighth when Tyler Rogers came into the game. Jonathan India doubled with one out, and two batters later, Vinnie Pasquantino hit an absolute bomb over the 24-foot-high wall in the deepest part of the yard in right-center field to give the Royals a 2-0 lead. It was only the second home run the usually-reliable Rogers gave up this season.

The Giants looked to respond against left-hander Daniel Lynch in the bottom of the eighth. Sam Huff and Heliot Ramos got base-hits to put runners at first and second with one out. 

John Schrieber was then brought in for Kansas City to face the white-hot MLB RBI leader, Wilmer Flores. Wilmer worked the count full, and was prepared to take Schrieber to a long at-bat. However, Schrieber threw an inside sinker that Wilmer surprisingly chased, and there were two away.

Jung Hoo Lee was now at the plate. Lee took a fastball high for ball one, and then he lined a double to right. Huff scored to put the Giants on the board, but Matt Williams held Ramos up at third. It was up to Matt Chapman, but he popped up to Royals’ catcher Salvidor Perez in foul territory to end the inning.

The Giants were unable to tie it, and the Royals got that run back against Jordan Hicks in the top of the ninth. Hicks was making his first appearance out of the bullpen after getting bumped from the rotation, and his struggles only followed him to the pen.

Maikel Garcia led off the inning with a base-hit to center, and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Darion Blanco. Hicks walked Hunter Renfroe with two outs, and then Kyle Isbel lined a base-hit to center that scored Garcia to make it 3-1.

Carlos Estevez came in for the bottom of the ninth. The Giants, as they always did, kept fighting until the very end, as LaMonte Wade lined a base-hit to right-center with one out. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t get anything started, and Estevez set down the next two to close it out.

Kris Bubic was rewarded for his dominant seven-inning performance with the win. Tyler Rogers was tagged with the loss, and Carlos Estevez picked up the save.

The Giants fall to 28-20.

Tuesday, the Giants will look to bounce back behind Hayden Birdsong (1-0, 2.31 ERA), who has just been brought into the rotation, in his first start of the season. Countering Birdsong for Kansas City will be the veteran right-hander, Michael Lorenzen (3-4, 3.76 ERA).

First pitch will be at 6:45 p.m.

Giants News and Notes:

• With Schmitt’s return from the IL, the Giants designated infielder David Villar for assignment. 

Villar had been up with the Giants at various points since 2022, and hit exactly .200 in 118 games with the Giants over four seasons. He also hit exactly .200 in nine games this season.