Dodgers pitcher Brusdar Graterol pitches in front of mom after 7 years apart: 'Incredible'

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already clinched the NL West, but Tuesday was a special night at Dodger Stadium.

During the Dodgers' 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol threw a scoreless eighth inning in the walk-off win. It wouldn't seem significant, but it was perhaps the biggest moment in the right-handers career, because it was the first time his mother got to see him play.

Born in Venezuela, Graterol hadn't seen his mother, Ysmalia, in seven years. Meaning she didn't get to see her son make his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, win the World Series with the Dodgers in 2020, see him get married or be there for the birth of her granddaughter. Graterol spent years trying to bring his mom to the U.S., and after they completed the process in recent weeks, she was finally able to make it to see her son.

After Graterol worked a 1-2-3 inning, the 25-year-old pointed at his mom in the suites and dug his face in his glove as he began to cry while she smiled in excitement. When Graterol made it back to the dugout, manager Dave Roberts hugged his pitcher while they both pointed back at Graterol's mom, while she blew him a kiss in a moment bigger than baseball.

'It was so incredible'

After the game, Graterol talked about what it was like to finally have his mom in attendance for a game.

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“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 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.”

Graterol later told reporters he got to see his mom Sunday night at the airport when she arrived as the Dodgers were coming back from the weekend road trip in Seattle. He said seeing her for the first time in so long "left me paralyzed."

"I didn’t know what to say. All I heard my mom say was that I was very big and beautiful, and the only thing that I told her when I calmed down was that she smelled like home," Graterol said.

Roberts said he knew his pitcher was excited to have his mom at the game, and once he saw Graterol's mom on the videoboard, he wanted them to acknowledge.

"It was emotional. You sort of get into the game mode, but how can you not appreciate that emotional moment for Brusdar, his mom and his family," Roberts said. "It was really a special moment, one of the top that I’ve ever been a part of."

Difficulties for Venezuelan MLB players

Teammate and fellow Venezuelan player David Peralta was one of the people that celebrated with Graterol in the dugout, The Athletic reported. The outfielder told reporters how hard it is to bring family from their home country to the U.S. due to political and diplomatic issues, making these rare moments special memories.

"You guys have to understand, especially for Latin players, especially for Venezuelans, what we have to go through, it’s not easy for us to bring our family," Peralta said. "So to finally get the chance to do it, it’s a moment that you’ll never forget."

Graterol and his mom got to embrace on the field together later in the night, and even took pictures with his daughter, Aria.

The family will be making up for lost time as the postseason nears, as Graterol said his mom will stay in the U.S. as the Dodgers begin a potential playoff run.

“The goal is to have her celebrate the World Series with us,” Graterol said.