ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves homered three times to back six strong innings on the mound by ace left-hander Chris Sale, and the result was a 6-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the 2026 regular-season opener for both teams Friday night at Truist Park.
Coming off an injury-plagued season that ended their streak of seven straight playoff appearances and already plagued this year by an ailing starting rotation, Sale (1-0) provided just what the Braves needed as the nine-time MLB All-Star started their opener for the second year in a row.
Pitching three days before his 36th birthday, the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner allowed three hits and three walks while striking out six batters before giving way to the bullpen.
“It was really special. Talk about just a spike of adrenaline there,” said Sale, who revived his career in Atlanta after being traded following the 2023 season by the Boston Red Sox, who moved on from a pitcher who was often injured during his time with them.
“I don’t know the last time we had an opening day here at home, but this is certainly my first time, and just being able to do that in front of our fans, I had a lot of family here as well, and just getting off on the right foot — last year’s kind of in the back of our minds, or for me anyways it was. It was important to get off on right foot and kind of set the tone early.”
Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies homered in the first inning, reigning NL rookie of the year Drake Baldwin went deep in the third, and center fielder Michael Harris II added a two-run shot off Royals starter Cole Ragans (0-1) in the fourth. The 28-year-old lefty was lifted after that inning, having surrendered six hits with four walks.
Braves newcomer Mauricio Dubón — holding down shortstop with expected starter Ha Seong Kim currently sidelined by a finger injury — finished off the scoring, driving in two runs with a double to the gap in right-center against Bailey Falter in the seventh.
There are plenty of doubts about Atlanta’s pitching staff after Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep went down in spring training before Spencer Strider joined them on the injured list late in camp.
For one night at least, Sale showed the top of the rotation is in good hands.
The bullpen looks much stronger, with former San Diego Padres closer Robert Suárez working a scoreless eighth in his new role as the set-up man for Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias, re-signed on a one-year deal for $16 million.
Atlanta also made a winner of new manager Walt Weiss, a former Braves shortstop and their longtime bench coach who took over after the retirement of Brian Snitker following last season. It was the first victory for Weiss as an MLB manager since 2016, when he finished up a four-year run leading the Colorado Rockies.
Sale credited the Braves for “checking all the boxes” with good pitching, hitting and fielding in the opener.
“Half the texts I’m getting are, ‘You better do something for your defense,” Sale said with a laugh.
Friday was the opener to a three-game series between the teams and the first of 13 straight contests for the Braves before their first day off. The scheduled starting pitchers for Saturday night are right-handers Michael Wacha for Kansas City and Reynaldo López for Atlanta.
Wacha is 1-4 with a 4.42 ERA in nine career outings against the Braves, including seven starts.
López will be making his first start in exactly a year. He went five innings against San Diego on March 28, 2025, before being shut down for the rest of the season with shoulder trouble.
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