On the surface, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night might have seemed rather unremarkable. For Dodgers relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol and his mother, it was one of the most memorable nights of their lives.
Over the last seven years, Graterol has been working his way up through the ranks of professional baseball while his mother, Ysmalia, stayed behind in his home country of Venezuela. Tuesday night served as a reunion for the pair, and Ysmalia got to see her son pitch in the MLB for the first time.
Graterol went out and pitched one perfect inning, and he pointed up to his mother in the suite as he walked off the field in what was an emotional moment for both.
What a moment. 🥹
After seven years apart living in Venezuela, Brusdar's mother watched her son pitch for the first time as a Major Leaguer. pic.twitter.com/nUUJZpxeGb— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2023
After the game, Graterol said the process of getting his mother to the United States was finally expedited in recent weeks after receiving an important document, according to the Associated Press. Graterol said he had been working to get his mother to the U.S. for quite some time.
"It was so incredible. I've always wanted to pitch in front of my mom. Being so successful as I've been pitching lately, it was so emotional and nice to have her here," Graterol said, per the AP. "We never really gave up on any situation and luckily we found a way to get her to the United States."
Over the last seven years, Ysmalia missed her son's MLB debut, his wedding, and the birth of her grandchild. That only added to the impact of their reunion, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team "rallied" around it.
Hopefully, Ysmalia gets to see her son pitch some more down the stretch because he is in the midst of an excellent season. Graterol has pitched 63.1 innings and produced a 1.28 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP, and he has helped the Dodgers win the NL West yet again.
