Less than 2 weeks after his mother's death, Dominic Smith delivers a historic Braves walk-off
Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith's mother died less than two weeks ago. 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.
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.