In a moment that was less Hollywood and more real life – if real life includes hurling fastballs in the Major League – Phillies ace Ranger Suárez delivered a performance under the gaze of his family for the first time on the big stage, MLB.com reports. Some things matter more than statistics, and for Suárez, having his wife, Joseany Cabello, and his two children, Sofia and Dominick, in the stands as he pitched was the real win, despite the Phillies falling to the Padres 5-2 on Wednesday.

It's not as though Suárez is any stranger to the pressures and glories of professional baseball, his 10-1 record and a lean 1.75 ERA marking him as a titan on the mound this season and a likely shoe-in for the National League All-Star Game happening next month in Texas; according to what he told FOX29, he's eager to bring his family along for that ride, assuming – and who wouldn't – he gets the nod.

The significance of the date was not lost on Suárez, as the rare family gathering coincided with Father’s Day – a first for him in the presence of his children. "Happy, very happy. We were excited because they arrived on Father’s Day," Suárez carved out emotions into words in his statement to FOX29. This personal milestone holds its own amid career highs, which include clinching the National League pennant in 2022 and starting in a World Series game. Undoubtedly, or should we say, stats aside, Wednesday's game spins a heartfelt yarn in the career of Suárez.

But let’s not forget, the road to this family reunion had its own hurdles; Joseany and the kids cheering from home until visas and red tape were sliced through their offseason marriage paving the way for shared experiences stateside, Joseany and the children got to switch from TV spectators to live audience, capturing the cheers and possible future baseball aficionados within the family, “Every time I pitch, and even when I don’t, they always watch Phillies games and are cheering for us,” Suárez shared with FOX29, the little one really likes it, they both do.

While sports headlines often valorize triple-digit speedometers and walk-off grand slams, sometimes it's the personal victories that resonate the loudest, like the simple joy of a father pitching in front of his kids. And while Suárez's family presence didn't bring a win to the Phillies that day, it sort of notched an intangible victory in the heart of one of baseball's best pitchers this season. As Suárez continues his dominant run, the Phillies, and surely his family too, will be cheering for not just the athlete but the man accomplishing dreams with his loved ones watching – finally, in the flesh.