The Braves defeated the Royals on Friday.
The Atlanta Braves earned a 6-0 win on Opening Day over the Kansas City Royals. It was an all-around impressive effort for an Atlanta ball club that is already dealing with adversity given all of the injuries on the roster. Braves ace Chris Sale described the team as "relentless" following the win, via Reggie Chatman Jr.
The Braves certainly played a quality brand of baseball against the Royals.
Sale led the way on the mound. The left-hander turned in six innings of shutout baseball while striking out six hitters. The bullpen followed Sale with three shutout innings to close the door.
Sale looked like the ace the Braves know he is. Pitching is a question mark in Atlanta at the moment given the injury absences of Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and others. With Sale pitching every fifth day, there is still reason for hope.
Sale joined the Braves in 2024 and he has been incredible with the ball club. He won the Cy Young in 2024 after pitching to a 2.38 ERA that season. In 2025, Sale recorded a 2.58 ERA.
It seems as if he is poised for another big year in 2026.
The southpaw received plenty of run support against the Royals on Friday night. Atlanta's lineup has some questions of its own, but it can be quite good.
Braves' Lineup Steps Up in Win
Atlanta had a team effort on offense on Friday. The team came together to earn the impressive win.
Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Drake Baldwin all hit home runs in the game. They combined for four total RBIs, while Mauricio Dubon drove in the other two runs.
It was the perfect example of how deep Atlanta's lineup is. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson are probably the two best hitters in this lineup, yet they did not have any RBIs in the game. In fact, Acuna went 0-5 in the victory.
Nevertheless, Atlanta's offense stepped up and helped Sale earn the win. It was a strong start for a Braves team that wants to upset expectations during the 2026 campaign.
Atlanta's next contest is scheduled for Saturday night at 7:15 PM EST. The Braves will then play the Royals once again on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM EST. Atlanta's homestand will continue against the Athletics from Monday through Wednesday of next week before the team hits the road for the first time this year.