Braves drop finale to Royals but start season with series win

Three games into a long season and Braves manager Walt Weiss received a bit of confirmation about the strength of his club as he watched the team take a series from the Royals.

Despite a 4-1 loss Sunday in the finale of a three-game set, Weiss echoed his spring training sentiments about how much he likes the team he has under his watch.

“It’s a good vibe, and I think it’s going to continue to be that way,” Weiss said after Sunday’s game. “We got a good group, and, you know, we had a tough time scoring the last couple nights, with the exception of the ninth last night, but our offense, our offense is good. I feel good about this club. I’ve said that all spring.”

The Braves Sunday couldn’t solve Royals starter Seth Lugo (1-0). He threw 6⅓ scoreless innings and held the Braves, who scored six runs in each of the series’ first two games, to five hits. Lugo threw 55 strikes out of his 77 pitches, and the veteran threw six different pitches at least nine times.

Drake Baldwin provided the lone offensive highlight for the Braves, blasting a two-out solo home run in the eighth off Royals reliever John Schreiber.

The Braves were shooting for their first 3-0 start since 2015, but instead had to settle for a series win before welcoming in the A’s for a three-game series starting at 7:15 p.m. Monday.

“That’s the goal is to win series and stack those series wins on top of each other,” Weiss said. “So, it’s a good way to start.”

The Royals took the lead in the third inning when Bobby Witt Jr. drove a two-out RBI single to right field, making it 1-0.

In the fourth, Royals catcher Carter Jensen put the Royals up 2-0 with a solo homer. Jensen took a 3-1 fastball from Braves starter Grant Holmes (0-1) and planted it just over the wall in right field.

In the fifth, Nick Loftin lined a double into the left field corner to start the inning and Maikel Garcia walked with one out. Holmes nearly escaped without further damage, but Vinnie Pasquantino lined an RBI single into right, putting the Royals up 3-0.

Holmes threw 77 pitches over five innings and was charged with three earned runs on five hits and two walks while fanning four.

“Always gonna be hard on myself, but, you know, when it’s all said and done, I felt like I went out there and I pitched better than the line I put out,” Holmes said. “But it’s not how you think you pitched, it’s how you actually pitched.”