Freddy Peralta goes back to his roots, leans on 4-seam fastball to shut down the Guardians in Rays' ALCS-tying victory
Seventy-one of the 99 pitches Peralta threw in Game 2 were four-seamers — his highest usage in a start since 2019.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Fastball Freddy, Freddy Peralta, returned to his roots in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. After a frustrating Game 1 loss to Cleveland, the Rays needed an ace-like performance to even the series, and Peralta delivered. Coming out of his pitching stretch, the right-hander pounded his four-seam fastball nearly 80% of the time, reminiscent of the 21-year-old who burst onto the scene with the Brewers in 2018.
Over six regular-season starts, Peralta allowed just three runs in 34 innings (0.79 ERA), and he had a dominant performance against the Yankees in the previous round (4 ⅔ IP, 1 ER). On Tuesday at Tropicana Field, Peralta shut down Cleveland's lineup, allowing just six hits and two walks over 6 scoreless innings. The stat line speaks for itself, and it reminds everyone why he earned the "Fastball Freddy" moniker in the first place.
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