In a scene that captured the heart of a nation, Luis Arraez fell to his knees, overwhelmed with emotion, as Venezuela clinched a historic triumph. The celebration was a vivid tapestry of national pride, with Arraez belting out the Venezuelan national anthem during the trophy presentation. The emotional weight of the victory was evident when he watched clips of the celebrations back home, bringing tears to his eyes once more.
“When you see the videos, you see those people crying,” Arraez shared. “As soon as I opened my phone, I started crying again.
It's so big for me, for my family, and for my country. To get there and do my thing, to bring the energy, score runs, and get outs for my country is amazing.”
Arraez, who had the honor of being Venezuela’s flag bearer, played a crucial role in igniting the decisive rally. Despite the setback of Bryce Harper's game-tying homer in the eighth, Arraez remained focused. Leading off in the ninth, he drew a walk, setting the stage for Eugenio Suárez’s go-ahead RBI double, which brought pinch-runner Javier Sanoja home from second.
“We worked together and we never gave up,” Arraez recounted. “They tied the game in the eighth, and I was the leadoff in the next inning.
I said, ‘I need to get on base. I need to start the rally.’
And then we scored the winning run.”
Arraez wasn’t the only one celebrating. José Buttó, a right-handed reliever, was instrumental in Venezuela's bullpen, delivering 5 2/3 scoreless innings over five appearances.
“He was amazing,” Arraez praised. “I’ve faced Buttó many times.
This guy is one of the nastiest relievers right now. If it were up to me, I’d put him as a starting pitcher.
He's got good stuff. Changeup, slider, sweeper, everything.”
Buttó’s performance in the tournament has certainly boosted his prospects as a key piece in the Giants’ bullpen this year.
“He is incredibly professional in his work every day,” manager Tony Vitello noted. “He's almost militaristic in his approach.
It makes sense that when you’re out there, in front of one of the loudest baseball crowds ever, facing Major League All-Stars, he's unfazed. It’s a good lesson for our younger guys, and for our players in general.”
Arraez and Buttó barely had time to savor Venezuela’s victory before heading back to Arizona with Giants ace Logan Webb, who earned a silver medal after delivering two dominant starts for Team USA. Despite the outcome, Webb made it a point to meet Arraez on the field to offer his congratulations.
“I really appreciate him,” Arraez said. “He said, ‘Congratulations, Luis. Now let's go to Arizona, join the team, and make San Francisco happy.’”