Braves' Dominic Smith hits walk-off home run nearly 2 weeks after mother's death

Dominic Smith was playing with a dense bosom erstwhile helium made his Atlanta Braves debut connected Saturday nighttime – his sixth squad successful 4 years.

Smith’s mother, Yvette LaFleuer, died of crab earlier this month. When Smith stepped up to the sheet against the Kansas City Royals successful the bottommost of the ninth with the bases loaded, helium said helium could consciousness her beingness with him.

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The Atlanta Braves observe astatine location sheet aft a walk-off expansive slam from Dominic Smith, center, successful the ninth inning of a shot crippled against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, successful Atlanta.  (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

The slugger deed a walk-off expansive slam to triumph the crippled for the Braves, 6-2.

"It’s conscionable amazing," helium told reporters. "Played against the Braves for a agelong time, and being connected the different broadside a batch of these endings benignant of hurt, truthful to beryllium connected the close broadside of it this clip was truthful fun."

Smith said that his teammates had been precise supporting of him during outpouring grooming erstwhile his parent was ill. She was diagnosed with crab successful September and astir died astatine the commencement of camp.

He near the squad to beryllium with her for implicit a week erstwhile she had a "scare" and erstwhile helium returned, helium was warring for a roster spot.

Atlanta Braves' Dominic Smith reacts aft hitting a walk-off expansive slam successful the ninth inning of a shot crippled against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, successful Atlanta.  (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

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"This squad is conscionable truthful awesome," Smith said. "I’m truthful blessed due to the fact that of the emotion they showed me, the enactment each day. They’re asking astir her, asking astir her well-being, my well-being, and that’s each they truly cared about. They didn’t attraction astir baseball."

Smith’s walk-off expansive slam made him the archetypal subordinate successful MLB past to execute the infinitesimal successful his debut with a caller team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Smith has been trying to find a imperishable location aft spending his archetypal six years with the New York Mets. He played for the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants since leaving New York.

Atlanta Braves' Dominic Smith (8) hits a walk-off expansive slam successful the ninth inning of a shot crippled against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, successful Atlanta. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)

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Last year, Smith had 5 location runs and 33 RBI successful 63 games with the Giants.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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