The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series behind a terrific outing from Freddy Peralta.
When the Rays acquired Peralta, he was a struggling rental with an All-Star track record. He posted a 4.99 ERA with the New York Mets, after dominating for years with the Milwaukee Brewers. His first few starts with the Rays were not great, but they were tinkering with his delivery and arsenal. He had a 0.79 ERA in his final six regular season starts, and has been sensational in the postseason.
He was good against the Yankees, but in Game 2 against the Guardians, he did something he hadn't done in his entire career: he completed six innings in a postseason game. He had made seven postseason starts before Tuesday night, six of which came with the Brewers. However, high pitch counts and the Brewers' refusal to let him face the lineup for a third time kept him from going deep in games.
In a close game, the Rays let their trade pickup ride, and he delivered. He struck out six and allowed just four hits. He worked around some traffic, and his fastball usage was back up. On the Rays, he had increased his changeup usage, but on Tuesday, 72% of his pitches were four-seam fastballs.
The Rays had a good plan against the Guardians in Game 2, but the big story is the plan they had in mind when they got Peralta. He did not look like the pitcher he was in Milwaukee, but the Rays saw something that made them believe that they could fix him.