Stephen Piscotty Says His Mother Was 'With Him' During 1st Game Since Her Death

The memory of his mother wasn't far from the mind of Oakland Athletics right fielder Stephen Piscotty as he returned to the field Tuesday for his first game following Gretchen Piscotty's death Sunday.

"I didn't feel alone," Piscotty said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I felt like there was someone with me yesterday. I know it was her. She was with up there during that at-bat."

Piscotty went 1-for-3 in Oakland's 4-2 defeat to the Houston Astros. He singled in the bottom of the second in his first at-bat. The home crowd cheered Piscotty when he stepped to the plate for the first time, courtesy of Cut4:

He also made a catch in the top of the fifth inning that kept a run off the board:

Doctors diagnosed Gretchen Piscotty with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in May 2017. The St. Louis Cardinals traded Piscotty to Oakland in December in part so the Pleasanton, California, native could be closer to his mother.