Less than two weeks after losing my mother to cancer, atlanta braves designated hitter dominic smith He said he felt her presence as he celebrated one of the most dramatic hits of his career.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Smith became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a new team, ending the Braves’ six-run inning in the ninth inning. 6-2 win at home kansas city royals.
“It’s amazing,” said Smith, who was one of the last players to be added to the Braves’ Opening Day roster. “Played against the Braves for a long time, and being on the other side, a lot of these endings were sad, so it was a lot of fun to be on the right side of it this time.”
Smith told reporters after the game that the Braves were very supportive during spring training when his mother was ill. He was diagnosed with cancer in September and died at the beginning of the camp. Smith said she left the team for a little more than a week when she was scared and returned because he was struggling to hold down a job. He was not with her in California when she died.
“This team is amazing,” Smith said. “I’ve been very blessed with the love they’ve shown me, the support they’ve shown me every day. They’re asking about him, asking about his well-being, my well-being, and that’s really all they care about. They didn’t care about baseball.”
Smith expresses his gratitude in Royals closer’s ninth inning Carlos EstevezWho led MLB with 42 last season. The Braves erased the 2–0 deficit thanks to RBI singles. mike yastrzemski And Michael Harris II And loaded the bases one by one.
On a 3–2 pitch, after calling timeout to collect himself, Smith lofted a fly ball into the right field seats, sending the sold-out crowd into a frenzy.
Smith said she “got choked up at times” thinking about her mother amid the celebration. He said he is looking forward to the Braves’ road trip to Anaheim, California next week, where he will meet the family and say “goodbye” to them.
“You know, I’m trying to hold back my tears now,” he said. “I feel her every day. I miss her so much. There’s not a moment that goes by that I don’t think about her. And like I said, I’m so grateful because this team knows what I’ve been through. So, you know, they’ve really picked me up these past few weeks.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
