KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gunnar Henderson delivered the decisive blow Wednesday evening, launching a seventh-inning solo home run off Royals reliever Carlos Hernández to give the Baltimore Orioles a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in the opener of a three-game series.

The Orioles entered the contest riding modest early-season momentum, looking to establish themselves in the AL East after a competitive spring. Henderson, the cornerstone of Baltimore's lineup, worked a full count before driving a 95-mph fastball into the left-field seats, silencing the home crowd and putting the Orioles ahead for good.

Baltimore starter Grayson Rodriguez turned in a quality six innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out seven. The Royals tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth on a two-run double from Salvador Perez, briefly threatening to hand Rodriguez his first loss of the young season before the Orioles bullpen and Henderson's bat intervened.

Kansas City managed just one hit off Baltimore's three-man relief tandem in the final three frames. Félix Bautista, returning from his late-2024 elbow procedure and building arm strength gradually, was held back by manager Brandon Hyde, who instead deployed Yennier Canó and Danny Coulombe to close out the ninth.

The Royals, who have shown flashes of the pitching depth that carried them to a competitive 2025 campaign, could not overcome a quiet night from their top of the order. Bobby Witt Jr. went 1-for-4 with a walk. Baltimore's win sets up an intriguing middle game Thursday as both clubs look to gain ground in their respective divisional races.