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Freddy Peralta goes back to his roots, leans on 4-seam fastball to shut down the Guardians in Rays' ALCS-tying victory

Freddy Peralta silenced the Cleveland Guardians with a dominant performance, anchoring Tampa Bay’s 3–1 win in Game 2 of the ALCS to tie the series. The right-hander, acquired by the Rays from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, returned to his signature four-seam fastball after a rough stretch in Queens, where he posted a 4.99 ERA over 22 starts.

Struggling in his first three outings with Tampa Bay—including a 5.09 ERA—Peralta reinvented his approach, raising his arm slot and refining his elite extension to reclaim his strikeout prowess. His final six regular-season starts saw him allow just three runs across 34 innings (0.79 ERA), and he followed that up with a strong postseason debut against the Yankees (4⅔ IP, 1 ER).

On Tuesday, Peralta delivered six scoreless innings at Tropicana Field, allowing only four hits and striking out six while walking two, showcasing the same explosive fastball that earned him All-Star honors with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018. That debut performance eight years ago featured a staggering 90 four-seam fastballs in 98 pitches, a trait he later mastered after studying pitch-tracking data in the majors.

Peralta’s revival underscores the Rays’ gamble on a pending free agent who now looks every bit the ace they envisioned when they traded for him.

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