Suárez's dreams become reality with family on hand for 1st time

PHILADELPHIA -- Ranger Suárez recorded the National League-pennant clinching out in 2022. He's started a World Series game. And now, he's off to one of the best starts to a season in Major League history.

But his family had never seen any of it in person -- until now.

The day Suárez has dreamed -- and talked -- about for years came to fruition on Wednesday, when his wife, Joseany Cabello, and two children, Sofia and Dominick, watched him pitch in the big leagues for the first time. They were treated to yet another solid performance from the left-hander, who tossed six innings of one-run ball in the Phillies' 5-2 loss to the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies' only offense came from a pair of Bryce Harper homers.

But the results were all secondary to Suárez.

“It was the first time they’ve seen me [pitch] and I'm just really happy,” Suárez said via team interpreter Diego D'Aniello. “Happy that they're here with me enjoying the game, happy that they're watching what I do and happy that they're enjoying the whole team as well.”

Prior to Wednesday, Suárez had made 229 appearances across the Minors and Majors (including the postseason) since 2015. His family could do nothing more than watch on TV (when available) from their home in Pie de Cuesta, Venezuela.

But on Wednesday, they had a much better view of their likely soon-to-be All-Star husband and father from the family section behind home plate. As of Sunday night, Suárez, Cabello and their two children are living together in Philadelphia through the end of the season.

Suárez wasted no time showing them exactly why he's the frontrunner to start next month's All-Star Game for the National League in Arlington -- a trip the entire family will make if (and when) he's selected.

“Hopefully,” Suárez said of making his first All-Star team. “If God gives me that opportunity to go to the All-Star Game, of course I’ll take them with me. It would be really nice to go to that first All-Star Game and have them with me.”

Suárez struck out four and walked zero while lowering his season ERA to 1.75. That’s the lowest mark by any Phillies pitcher through his first 15 starts of a season since 1968 (Woodie Fryman, 1.61). As Suárez walked off the field after the sixth, the always stoic southpaw waved to his family behind home plate.

“It's really nice to see your family watching you pitch,” he said.

As remarkable as this season has been for Suárez, nothing has compared to the past week. His family arrived in Philadelphia on Sunday, the same day the Phillies were wrapping up an 11-day, three-city intercontinental road trip in Baltimore.

Suárez rushed home to find his kids -- 6-year-old Sofia and 3-year-old Dominick -- waiting to spend Father's Day with him for the first time.

“I was excited that they got here on that day,” Suárez said. “Since they were born, they've never spent a Father's Day with me, so I was just really excited about it.”

It's been a long time coming for Suárez, who missed the birth of his son due to the COVID pandemic. He was stuck in a Florida hotel at the time, unable to travel back to Venezuela.

Travel between the countries is extremely difficult. It's why teammate and fellow Venezuelan pitcher José Alvarado hadn't seen much of his family for years -- until an emotional reunion this past Christmas. Like with Alvarado, the Phillies' organization stepped in to help reunite Suárez with his loved ones.

“I know for myself, coaching in the Minor Leagues, not having my family with me all the time, it hurts,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who has been involved in professional baseball for nearly 40 years. “So I am very happy for him that they're here and their first time getting to see him pitch. I'm really happy for him, because I know he's happy.

Suárez (10-1) has a 1.75 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 92 1/3 innings. He's allowed only 63 hits and 19 walks.

He's just the fifth pitcher in AL/NL history to begin a season with a 1.75 ERA or better, 95 strikeouts and fewer than 20 walks through 15 starts. The others are Jacob deGrom (2021), Clayton Kershaw (2016) and Hall of Famers Greg Maddux (1995) and Jim Bunning (1966).

The only other Phillies pitcher with even a sub-2.00 ERA, 90-plus strikeouts and fewer than 70 hits allowed over any 15-game span within a season is Hall of Famer Grover Alexander ... in 1915.

But when Suárez gets home Wednesday night, he won’t be looked at as the best pitcher in the Majors right now.

He'll just be a dad tossing the ball to his kids.

“Honestly, I want to go home already,” Suárez said. “See them, hug them, play with them -- just spend time with them.”