03/28/26 11:07:00
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03/28 22:32 CDT Less than 2 weeks after his mother's death, Dominic Smith
delivers a historic Braves walk-off
Less than 2 weeks after his mother's death, Dominic Smith delivers a historic
Braves walk-off
By BILL TROCCHI
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) --- Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith's mother died less than
two weeks ago. He said the team has picked him up the last few weeks, and he
returned the favor Saturday night.
Smith became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in
his debut with a new team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He finished
off the Braves' six-run ninth inning in a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals.
"It's just amazing," said Smith, who was one of the last players to make the
Braves' opening day roster. "Played against the Braves for a long time, and
being on the other side a lot of these endings kind of hurt, so to be on the
right side of it this time was so fun."
Smith told reporters after the game the Braves had been very supportive during
spring training when his mother was ill. She was diagnosed with cancer in
September and almost died at the start of camp. Smith said he left the team for
a little over a week when she had a "scare," and returned because he was
fighting for a job. He was not with her in California when she passed away.
"This team is just so awesome," Smith said. "I'm so blessed because of the love
they showed me, the support every day. They're asking about her, asking about
her well-being, my well-being, and that's all they really cared about. They
didn't care about baseball."
Smith was able to show his thanks in the ninth inning off Royals closer Carlos
Estvez, who led MLB in saves last season with 42. The Braves erased a 2-0
deficit on RBI singles by Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Harris II and had the
bases loaded with one out. On a 3-2 pitch, after calling timeout to gather
himself, Smith lifted a fly ball into the right field seats that sent the
sold-out crowd into a frenzy.
Smith said he felt his mom's presence in the celebration, and he looking
forward to the Braves road trip to Anaheim next week where he will be able to
see family and "say his goodbyes."
"I got choked up a bunch of times, and it's, you know, I'm trying to hold back
tears now," he said. "I feel her every day. I miss her dearly. It's not a
moment I don't think about her. And like I said, I'm just so thankful because
this team knows what I'm going through. So they really, you know, picked me up
the last few weeks."
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
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