An elevator going down instead of up may have saved the life of former New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia.
Mejia, who pitched for the Mets from 2010-15, was staying at the Hotel Eduard in La Guaira when the doublet earthquake struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening. According to Dominican newspaper Diario Libre, Mejia had just finished working out in the hotel’s gym when the earthquakes struck.
“I was in the gym area And at that moment I took the elevator to leave,” Mejia told Dominican radio show Mañana Deportiva. He was in the elevator going back to his room at the hotel.
“In fact, I had pressed number six, which was where my floor was. But… I think it was God because instead of going up, it went down to the basement,” Mejía said on the radio show.
“The door opened directly into the lobby. That’s when I came out and the building started to collapse,” Mejía said, noting the building collapsed in approximately 40 seconds.
As the building collapsed, Mejia helped an elderly man out of the hotel.
“I think only he and I (got out of the Hotel eduard alive), the others are still there, trapped under the rubble,” Mejia told the radio show.
Omar Lopez: “It’s Frustrating” – Houston Astros bench coach Omar Lopez, who managed Venezuela to the 2026 World Baseball Classic title, addressed the earthquakes in his native Venezuela prior to the Astros’ Thursday game against Detroit.
“It’s frustrating,” López told The Athletic. “Three months ago we were able to do something special and now, three months later, we have to go through the sad, frustrating part. We’re doing our best right now to support our community and our country from the distance.”
Venezuela’s WBC title came just months after the United States captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a midnight military raid the forced a pause in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional season, and was a bright spot for a country that had been in an economic crisis for more than a decade under Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
“Our country has been suffering so much for years and we’re still getting more hard stuff in our way,” López said.
Isaias Tejeda Recounts Moment Quake Struck During Game – Playing for the Guerreros de Lara, Dominican first baseman Isaias Tejeda was on the field for Lara when the quakes struck on Wednesday. His club was in Barquisimeto facing the Caciques del Distrito.
“It was an extremely strong tremor. We were in the middle of a game and the lights and towers of the stadium started to move,” Tejeda told Dominican newspaper Diario Libre.
Players Embroider Tribute On Hats – Major League Baseball allowed players to have the letters “VZ” embroidered onto their caps as a gesture of support for Venezuela in the aftermath of Wednesday’s earthquakes.
Players, coaches, and teams from around the league honored Venezuela today ??? pic.twitter.com/NRyv2n4e9O
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 26, 2026
Among the players who did so were San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez and outfielder Victor Bericoto, who’s brother’s girlfriend died in the tragedy. Bericoto hit a game-ending solo homer against the Athletics on Wednesday night, only to find out about the magnitude of the natural disaster that hit his home country when he got back to the clubhouse.
Víctor Bericoto was the hero in last night's Giants game with his walk-off.
On the biggest night of his career, his home country of Venezuela was hit with an Earthquake that killed his brother's girlfriend. He wasn't aware of the magnitude of the situation until after the game pic.twitter.com/fklDYyMJxV
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) June 25, 2026
Photo: Omar López (22) looks on during batting practice before a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
