Game Recap; Royals Pick Up First Win of the Season

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The Kansas City Royals avoided a series sweep with a steady 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Truist Park. In a game defined by disciplined pitching and timely situational hitting, the Royals secured their first win of the season behind a vintage performance from Seth Lugo and a breakout afternoon from young catcher Carter Jensen.

The afternoon began as a controlled pitching duel. Braves starter Grant Holmes pitched effectively through 5.0 innings, striking out four and allowing only three runs, but he was ultimately outshined by Kansas City’s Seth Lugo. Lugo was the story of the game for the Royals, throwing 6.1 scoreless innings and surrendering only five hits. His efficiency (77 pitches) and command kept a potent Braves lineup—which had scored 12 runs over the previous two games—completely off balance.

The Kansas City offense, which had struggled for consistency in the opening series, utilized a "small ball" approach to build an early lead. The scoring opened in the top of the 3rd inning when Bobby Witt Jr. lined an RBI single to right field, scoring Nick Loftin, who had reached base earlier in the frame.

In the 4th, Carter Jensen extended the lead with a solo home run to right-center field, marking his first long ball of the 2026 campaign. The Royals added an insurance run in the 5th via a Vinnie Pasquantino RBI single, again scoring Loftin, who served as a persistent spark plug from the bottom of the order. Kansas City capped their scoring in the 8th inning when Jensen drove in Witt Jr. with a deep sacrifice fly to center field.

The Braves finally broke the shutout in the bottom of the 8th inning. After Lugo was relieved, Drake Baldwin connected on a solo home run to right field off reliever John Schreiber, cutting the lead to 4-1. It was Baldwin's second home run of the series, continuing his strong start to the season. However, the Atlanta rally was short-lived. The Royals’ bullpen, led by Lucas Erceg in the 9th, shut the door to secure the victory. Following the catastrophic performance by Carlos Estévez yesterday, Royals manager Matt Quatraro called upon Erceg to protect a narrow lead and was dominant, needing only 14 pitches to retire the side.

Erceg featured a high-octane fastball that sat consistently at 99-100 mph, complemented by a sharp slider that generated two swinging strikes. He earned the save, his first of the 2026 season, and looked every bit the part of a high-leverage anchor.

 

Individual Highlights:

Seth Lugo (KC): W (1-1), 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 K.

Carter Jensen (KC): 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, SF.

Nick Loftin (KC): 1-for-3, 2 R (Reached twice).

Vinnie Pascquatino (KC) 2-for-4, RBI

Drake Baldwin (ATL): 1-for-3, HR, RBI.

Grant Holmes (ATL): L (1-1), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 K.

The Royals now move to 1-2 on the young season as they head out of Atlanta, while the Braves sit at 2-1 following their successful opening series win.