Rookie Kris Bubic picked up his first career win with five innings of one-run ball as the host Kansas City Royals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Friday night.

Maikel Franco had a pair of RBI singles for Kansas City (18-28), and Adalberto Mondesi homered and scored three runs.

Bubic (1-5) battled all night, fighting through many of his own messes. He faced baserunners in every inning, allowing six hits and two walks. He struck out six, four of them with runners in scoring position.

Greg Holland earned his fourth save with a perfect ninth inning.

Steven Brault (0-3) took the loss for Pittsburgh (14-28). He allowed three runs on five hits in four innings. He also issued three walks and struck out four.

The Royals got on the board in the first when Mondesi hit his third home run of the season -- and of the week. He connected on a 418-foot blast to left field that also extended his hitting streak to a career-high-tying eight games. During his streak, he is hitting .333 (10-for-30).

The Royals got two more runs in the third. Mondesi walked with one out and moved to third on a single by Salvador Perez, back after a 22-game stint on the injured list caused by blurred vision. Mondesi scored and Perez went to second on a bloop hit by Franco, and Perez came home on Hunter Dozier's line-drive single.

The Pirates were able to get one back in the fourth, but Bubic worked his way out of trouble for the second time in three innings.

After getting out of a first-and-third jam with no outs in the second by striking out the next three hitters, Bubic faced the same situation in the fourth. He gave up an RBI double to Jacob Stallings, putting runners on second and third, still with no outs. But Bubic then retired the next three batters on an infield popup, a strikeout and a flyout.

Mondesi walked in the seventh, stole two bases and scored on Franco's second single.

The Pirates drew within one in the eighth on Josh Bell's 426-foot home run, which scored Bryan Reynolds.

--Field Level Media