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Braves’ Dominic Smith walks off the Royals with grand slam smash
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- Braves’ Dominic Smith walks off the Royals with grand slam smash
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The Atlanta Braves clinched a thrilling 6-2 win against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, thanks to a historic walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning by Dominic Smith . The designated hitter, appearing in his first game with Atlanta, went 1-for-4 and belted the ultimate blow on a full-count (3-2) pitch from Kansas City closer Carlos Estevez , who had led Major League Baseball with 42 saves the previous season.
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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. The blast, which landed in the right-field seats at Truist Park, gave the Braves back-to-back wins and sent the packed crowd into a frenzy.
The 30-year-old's home run ended a six-run ninth-inning rally that erased a 2-0 gap. The comeback began with a walk to Drake Baldwin , followed by RBI singles from Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Harris II , both of whom finished with strong performances. Harris went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Yastrzemski had two hits and drove in a run in four at-bats.
Earlier in the game, Royals starter Michael Wacha pitched brilliantly, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and one walk, striking out seven on 80 pitches (57 strikes). Salvador Perez provided Kansas City's offense with a home run, while Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI. Jac Caglianone contributed with a 2-for-3 performance.
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Atlanta starter Reynaldo Lopez also impressed in his return from shoulder surgery, allowing one run on three hits over six innings with three strikeouts. His fastball velocity averaged 94.4 mph, a noticeable increase from his final spring training outing.
Reliever Osvaldo Bido earned the win in his Braves debut, striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. As the series concludes Sunday, Grant Holmes will take the mound for Atlanta against Seth Lugo .
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