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Freddy Peralta shines again as Rays beat Guardians to even ALCS

Freddy Peralta delivered another dominant performance for the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out Petey Halpin on a 3-2 changeup in the sixth inning to cap off six scoreless frames of four-hit ball. His 96.9 mph average fastball velocity, up 2.6 mph from his season average, highlighted a pitch that accounted for 71.7% of his throws—his highest usage rate since mid-2019—and included a career-high 99.4 mph fastball.

The Rays’ offense capitalized on a José Ramírez fielding error in the fourth, with Liam Hicks driving in two runs on a single, while a controversial video review overturned a double-play call to fuel a three-run inning against rookie lefty Parker Messick. Peralta, who thrived in the high-pressure atmosphere, credited his competitive mindset and the adrenaline of postseason play for his strong outing, echoing his love for the intensity of baseball as a Dominican pitcher who grew up watching the sport’s biggest moments.

The win tied the American League Championship Series at 1-1, setting the stage for Game 3 in Cleveland on Thursday night.

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