The Giants found another excruciating and creative way to lose in Kansas City while falling 18 games under .500.
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Manager Tony Vitello was thrown out during a nightmarish bottom of the seventh inning that doomed San Francisco to a 5-4 loss and the team’s 60th defeat of the season.
Vitello vociferously argued after Royals baserunner Vinnie Pasquantino was called safe while sliding into second while the Giants led 3-0.
The official ruled that Willy Adames pushed Pasquantino off the base and thus ruled him safe, a call that infuriated the first-year manager and led to Vitello being tossed.
With a seething Vitello relegated back to his office, Landen Roupp’s strong start was undone with one pitch.
He gave up a 2-run home run to KC’s future hall of famer Salvador Perez, the 317th of his career and a shot that tied him with fellow Royals legend George Brett for the most in Kansas City history.
The Giants pulled Roupp, and after Sam Hentges could not finish the inning, asked Keaton Winn to come up big. Instead, he allowed Nick Loftin to tie the game at 3-3 with a single.
Lane Thomas then cleared the bases with a two-run single with two innings as the Royals batted around.
In all five consecutive losses, the Giants have blown a lead.
Roupp, who was on the mound for the Giants’ 7-0 victory in the team’s first game after the All-Star break, had attempted to win his third consecutive start against the cellar-dwelling Royals.
He had his sinker, curveball and changeup working in Kansas City early on, throwing 91 pitches over six innings and allowing four hits while striking out seven.
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The Giants were looking to avoid their third losing skid of at least five games, and first such slide post-All-Star break.
After five scoreless innings, some smallball allowed San Francisco to put its first run on the board. Willy Adames drew a walk to begin the top of the sixth.
After Lugo boinked Drew Gilbert on a sweeper down and in, Drew Cavanaugh pushed a bunt to first base and moved both runners into scoring position.
Luis Arraez finished the exhibition in opportunistic baseball by driving a ball to center and scoring Adames without a hit being recorded in the inning.
With a runner on second, Roupp got out of danger by striking out Lane Thomas on a 86 mile per hour changeup.
Jung Hoo Lee gave the Giants an insurance run with only the team’s second hit of the day to that point, lining a double to right and scoring Rafael Devers from first.
Adames made it 3-0 in the top of the seventh by hitting a ground rule double over the left field and driving Lee across against Lugo.
Those runs proved to be helpful but ultimately meaningless after Vitello was ejected and Roupp allowed Perez to hit his historic home run and begin the Royals rally.
The Giants (42-60) will begin their home series against the Angels on Friday. Logan Webb (5-7, 3.88 ERA) is expected to start for San Francisco.
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