UPDATES: Braves start off season strong with win vs. Royals on Opening Day

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Ozzie Albies, Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II all homered Friday as the Atlanta Braves beat the Kansas City Royals 6-0 to open the 2026 campaign.

The team is off to a better start than it was in 2025, when Atlanta fell to an 0-7 record right away after being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. It was a hole they were never able to dig out of, and they missed the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Now, entering a new era led by manager Walt Weiss, the Braves are off to a 1-0 start. They wrap up their series against Kansas City on Sunday before hosting the Athletics for three games starting Monday.

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9th inning

Tyler Kinley pitched the top of the ninth, getting Vinnie Pasquantino to ground out, Jac Caglianone to strike out and Jonathan India to pop out to win 6-0.

Atlanta is 1-0.

8th inning

Robert Suarez, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract this past offseason with the Braves, entered the game in the eighth and was able to get through the inning despite allowing Witt and Thomas to get on base.

The Braves went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

7th inning

Dylan Lee relieved Sale in the seventh inning and retired the side.

Sale’s final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 88 pitches

Pretty good start to the season for the soon-to-be 37-year-old.

The Braves added on in the bottom of the seventh. Mauricio Dubon doubled in Matt Olson and Austin Riley to extend the team’s lead to six runs.

6th inning

The defense was outstanding in the top of the sixth inning. Following a Bobby Witt Jr. strikeout, both Acuña and Riley had diving catches to cap the top of the sixth inning. It was a 1-2-3 inning for Falter in the bottom of the sixth.

5th inning

Sale is now through 5 IP (74 pitches) and has retired seven straight Royals hitters. Kansas City has brought in LHP Bailey Falter to relieve Cole Ragans.

Ragans’ final line: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 90 pitches

Falter was able to pitch a scoreless inning, despite allowing singles to Riley and White.

4th inning

It was a 1-2-3 fourth inning for Sale. For the Braves, you can add Michael Harris II on the list of homers off Cole Ragans on Friday, as the nine-hole hitter took Ragans 372 feet to the Chop House in right field to put the Braves up 4-0.

3rd inning

Sale racked up the first two outs of the inning via strikeouts of Carter Jensen and Witt. The third out, however? An Eli White diving catch, robbing Salvador Perez of a single, saving a potential earned run via one of the two Royals on base.

Drake Baldwin hit his first home run of the season off Ragans in the bottom of the third: A 370-foot shot to the Chop House to put the Braves up 2-0.

2nd inning

Two innings, two double plays for Chris Sale. This time, he gets Royals’ Isaac Collins to get out of a bases-loaded jam. As for Atlanta, it couldn’t get much done off Cole Ragans this time around. Ragans capped the inning off with a four-pitch strikeout of Ronald Acuña Jr.

1st inning

It was a solid inning for Braves starter Chris Sale. He allowed a single to Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia but got Bobby Witt Jr. to ground into a double play on the next pitch. He then struck out Lane Thomas on a 97.6 mph fastball.

In the bottom half, the Braves got on the board fast as Ozzie Albies took Royals left-handed starter Cole Ragans deep to put the Braves up 1-0. Manager Walt Weiss said before the game that he wanted Albies in the 3 hole because of how well he hits right-handed.

Guess it worked!

How to watch Braves on Gray

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For broadcast times, channel information and additional details, fans are encouraged to click here and check local Gray Media station listings in their markets.

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