Porter's cancer-surviving mom in attendance

HOUSTON -- Mother's Day took on special meaning for Astros manager Bo Porter, whose mother, Beverly, is a cancer survivor and was in attendance on Sunday, along with his wife, Stacey.

"I was raised by a single mom, and she has instilled a lot of the characteristics in which I stand behind today," Porter said. "I owe her and she'll be here. Today is always a day I think about that 1 1/2 years she went through cancer. A lot of times when things like that happen to other people, you see it, but when it hits home, you really realize the magnitude or effect it has not only on the person who has cancer, but I think about the sacrifice my wife had to make that baseball season [2010], flying back and forth to be with my mom for chemo.

"It puts an added responsibility on you and your loved ones. It's not just the person that's diagnosed with cancer and is dealing with chemo and radiation. But the entire family feels the effects because you have to make sure they have everything they need."

Porter said he battled the crowds at Nordstrom at the Galleria in Houston on Saturday to buy his wife a bottle of her favorite perfume.

"She was pretty happy with it," he said. "Don't ask me to pronounce it, because I can't pronounce it. All I know is it was made in France, and you can only buy it in Nordstrom and it's expensive. She likes it and she put it on this morning and really smells good."