Brusdar Graterol never gave up hope that his mother would be able to see him pitch in person in the major leagues and on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, it finally happened.
Graterol’s mother, Ysmalia, was in a suite and saw her son pitch a scoreless eighth inning as the Dodgers rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
“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,” Brusdar Graterol said through an interpreter after the game. “We never really gave up on any situation and luckily we found a way to get her to the United States.”
Photo: AFP
He saw his mother for the first time in seven years on Sunday when she arrived from Venezuela. The 25-year old right-hander said he was paralyzed with emotion the first time they saw each other.
“All I heard my mom say was that I was very big and very beautiful,” he said. “And the only thing that I told her when I calmed down, I told her that she smelled like home.”
Brusdar Graterol said that the process of getting her to the US started to gain momentum the past two weeks after getting one important document that sped up the process.
Brusdar Graterol was signed to a contract by the Minnesota Twins in 2014 after a tryout in Venezuela. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2020.
When he came out for the eighth inning on Tuesday, he said there were plenty of emotions and memories going through his head, but that once his music started playing and he went through his warmups, he was feeling calm.
He retired the Tigers in order on 13 pitches, including nine strikes. After getting Jake Rogers to ground out to end the inning, he pointed to where his mom was sitting and then used his mitt to hide his tears as he was walking to the dugout.
“It was emotional. How can you not appreciate that moment for Brusdar and his family? That was one of the top moments I have been a part of,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The players rallied around it and it was good to see.”
Brusdar Graterol’s mom missed her son getting married and the birth of her granddaughter, but she is making up for lost time.
He said that his mother would be in the US through at least the end of the end of the post-season.
“There have been a lot of things that have been very hard. When I made my debut, she wasn’t here. When I got married, she wasn’t here. When I had my daughter, she wasn’t here,” Brusdar Graterol said. “Those are very difficult times, but to be able to now share that and be there with her is special.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday, it was:
‧ Astros 5, Orioles 9
‧ Athletics 2, Mariners 7
‧ Braves 9, Phillies 3
‧ Cardinals 3, Brewers 7
‧ Cubs 14, Pirates 1
‧ Diamondbacks 8, Giants 4
‧ Marlins 4, Mets 3
‧ Nationals 4, White Sox 3
‧ Padres 2, Rockies 0
‧ Rangers 6, Red Sox 4
‧ Rays 6, Angels 2
‧ Reds 0, Twins 7
‧ Royals 7, Guardians 6
‧ Yankees 1, Blue Jays 7
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