Braves 6, Royals 2: Wacha’s 23 FP & Dominic Smith’s Ninth-Inning Slam (Mar 28, 2026)

Atlanta Braves 6, Kansas City Royals 2 at Truist Park on Saturday, March 28, 2026 stayed 0–0 into the late innings before Kansas City took 2–0 leads in the 7th and 8th, then Dominic Smith’s grand slam highlighted a six-run ninth for Atlanta. Michael Wacha threw six scoreless frames (23 AthX FP, best on the slate); Carlos Estévez took the loss after -21.67 FP in a six-run ninth. If you care about AthX FP and real baseball outcomes in one recap, this game is a textbook split story.

Game narrative / key moments

Wacha worked six scoreless innings with three hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts—game score 72 per ESPN. Reynaldo López started for Atlanta with six innings, three hits, one earned run, two walks, three strikeouts, and one home run allowed (full line on the ESPN box score). Salvador Perez homered to left-center (390 feet) in the top of the seventh for a 1–0 Royals lead. Maikel Garcia scored in the eighth when Matt Olson committed a fielding error, pushing the lead to 2–0.

Atlanta struck in the ninth against the Kansas City pen: Mike Yastrzemski’s RBI single off Lucas Erceg made it 2–1, Michael Harris II tied it with an infield single, and Dominic Smith delivered a 386-foot grand slam to right-center—four RBI on one swing (2–6). Osvaldo Bido earned the win with a 1-IP relief appearance (three strikeouts).

AthX standout performances

Michael Wacha (Royals) — player page

Reynaldo López (Braves) — player page

Salvador Perez (Royals) — player page

Dominic Smith (Braves) — player page

Carlos Estévez (Royals) — player page

Michael Harris II (Braves) — player page

Team & trading implications

Kansas City got elite innings from Wacha and a 2–0 lead with Perez and defense—but the ninth flipped the script. AthX Engine season projections still care about full samples; one bullpen implosion should not erase Wacha’s 23 FP signal for traders who read starter lines first.

Atlanta stayed patient through eight quiet frames, then punished mistakes. Smith’s slam and Harris’s knock are the kinds of AthX FP spikes that move nightly leaderboards even when Acuña and Riley have quieter lines in the same box score.

Bold takeaways

Conclusion

AthX FP separates who dealt from who closed—and sometimes the winning swing is a grand slam off the bench. Read starter and reliever lines separately, then open understanding dividends if you hold either side long term.

Ready to trade this performance? Download the AthX Android app or sign up on the web at getathx.com. Claim up to $1000 FREE Shares by April 5, 2026 (terms apply). Refer a friend before April 5 — when they fund with $100+, you both earn free shares. Browse player and team pages to see live pricing and projections.

*Sources: ESPN box score; CBS Sports gametracker. AthX fantasy points from AthX Engine daily tracking for March 28, 2026 where cited. This write-up is for information only and is not financial advice.*