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Watch: Dodgers pitcher's mom throws perfect first pitch
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol (48) Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Dodgers pitcher's mom throws perfect first pitch

On the same night that ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith bounced his first pitch attempt at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol's mom, Ysmalia, fired a perfect strike nearly 3,000 miles away.

There were a handful of factors that made Ysmalia's first pitch pure perfection.

First, unlike many others who opt to take their first pitch from closer to the plate, the fifth-year pro's mother elected to throw from the mound, which takes guts. She also not only hurled in a strike but looked to have some giddy-up on her fastball.

The awesome first pitch, perhaps, shouldn't be too surprising, as the Spectrum SportsNet LA broadcast noted that Ysmalia is a former softball player. Accomplishing what she did in front of thousands of screaming fans is something else though.

It's been an emotional and eventful week for the Graterols, as they reunited on Sunday after having not seen each other for seven years. Then on Tuesday night, the 25-year-old got to pitch in front of his mom on a major league diamond for the first time and fired a 1-2-3 eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers.

It's been a career year for Graterol in the Dodgers' bullpen, as he's gone 4-2 with career bests in ERA (1.26), saves (seven) and strikeouts (46) while registering a 1.01 WHIP across 64 1/3 inning pitched in 65 games. Graterol leads Los Angeles in games pitched and ERA among other categories.

After another clean outing on Wednesday, he's now pitched 21 consecutive scoreless innings, which is a Dodgers season high according to an Associated Press and ESPN report.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball --  in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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