Home Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves' Dominic Smith hits walk-off grand slam in debut against Kansas City Royals

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Mar 30, 2026

Atlanta Braves' Dominic Smith hits walk-off grand slam in debut against Kansas City Royals

Atlanta Braves first baseman Dominic Smith hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on March 28, 2026, at Truist Park in Atlanta.^[1]^[2] It marked Smith's major league debut with the Braves, his sixth different team in four years.^[3]

The 30-year-old Smith, a former New York Mets first baseman who spent his first six MLB seasons (2017-2022) with the club, had previously played for the Washington Nationals (2022), Boston Red Sox (2023), Cincinnati Reds (2024) and San Francisco Giants (2025).^[4] In 2025, he hit five home runs with 33 RBI in 63 games for the Giants.^[3]^[4]

Smith's mother, Yvette LaFleuer, died of cancer earlier in March 2026, shortly after a diagnosis in September 2025 and a medical scare during spring training that caused him to miss over a week with the Braves.^[3] He credited his new teammates for their support during her illness, prioritizing his well-being over baseball concerns as he fought for a roster spot.^[3]

Bases loaded with two outs against Royals reliever Carlos Estévez, Smith launched the game-ending homer, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a new team, according to Elias Sports Bureau.^[1]^[3]

"It’s just amazing," Smith said postgame. "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."^[3] He added, "This team is just so awesome. I’m so blessed because of the love they showed me."^[3]

Truist Park, home of the Braves since 2017, hosted the game with an announced attendance of 24,873.^[2]^[5]