Edwin Díaz wasn’t available out of the Dodgers ’ bullpen Tuesday night.
Alex Vesia , on the other hand, couldn’t have been more ready.
In what started as an unexpected moment, then turned into a touching victory-sealing sequence, Vesia not only recorded a save in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Mets –– but did so with a special collection of fans in attendance.
In honor of Healthcare Night at Dodger Stadium, Vesia and his wife, Kayla, invited to the game the Cedars-Sinai hospital staff who cared for them when they tragically lost their newborn daughter, Sterling Sol, last October .
The group arrived at the ballpark in shirts displaying Vesia’s No. 51. They met with Vesia and got autographs from other Dodgers relievers on the field after batting practice. Then, they headed upstairs, filed into a luxury box, and rose to their feet in the top of the ninth inning, when Vesia got the call for the final three outs.
“Today was the first time I’ve seen pretty much all of them since everything,” Vesia said. “So it was very special, very emotional … I couldn’t have wrote it any better.”
With Díaz down –– having thrown a pregame bullpen session in his ongoing battle to regain fastball velocity –– Vesia rose to the occasion, striking out the side against the heart of the Mets order: Jorge Polanco on a changeup-fastball combination, then Bo Bichette and Francisco Alvarez with a flurry of swing-and-miss sliders.
“I was pretty fired up to be put in that spot,” Vesia said. “Doc trusting me to get those three hitters out, those are no-joke hitters right there.”
It marked the left-hander’s second save this year (he had his first last Saturday when Díaz was also unavailable) and ran his season-opening scoreless streak to 7 ⅓ innings.
“He’s battle-tested,” Roberts said. “He’s been in a lot of big spots.”
Tuesday was yet another, amid the added emotions of reuniting with last year’s healthcare workers.
In a TikTok video earlier this week , Kayla said the couple had been working with the Dodgers on plans to host the group –– which included more than a dozen Cedars-Sinai staff –– since as far back as January.
Among the attendees, Vesia noted, was even one of the main nurses who cared for the couple closely during the ordeal.
“I have much bigger respect for all of them,” he said.
By the end of the night, his save had provided a celebratory conclusion to the sentimental night. As Veisa pumped his fist on the mound, the Dodgers’ television broadcast cut to the group jumping, dancing and waving their arms happily from their suite.
“Kay just texted me and said they’re all in tears,” Vesia said afterward with a smile. “Tonight was a really, really special night.”
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