The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 on Tuesday to tie the American League Championship Series at one game apiece. Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings, while a defensive error by José Ramírez led to three unearned runs.
The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., to even the American League Championship Series at 1-1. The victory followed a 7-3 loss in Game 1, where Cleveland’s offense had exploded against Tampa Bay’s pitching staff.
Freddy Peralta, acquired by the Rays from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, delivered a strong performance on the mound. According to the Associated Press, Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, striking out six batters and allowing no earned runs. The OutKick report noted that his average fastball velocity was over 2.5 mph higher than his season average. Peralta’s ERA in his last eight starts with the Rays dropped to 0.81 following the outing.
Peralta’s effectiveness was highlighted by a strikeout of Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup to end the sixth inning. The crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field chanted “Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!” as he left the mound.
The game’s decisive runs came in the fourth inning, driven by defensive lapses from Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez. After Victor Mesa Jr. beat out an infield single—a call overturned on review to rule him safe—Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop. Mesa reached third base when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.
Ben Williamson then hit a grounder that took a bad hop, skipping underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after hitting the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The ball scored Mesa, making it 1-0. Liam Hicks followed with a line drive single to right-center field, scoring Williamson and Simpson to extend the lead to 3-0. Sportsnet reported that the grounder was hit at 84.9 m.p.h.
The Guardians attempted a comeback in the seventh inning. Patrick Bailey drew a leadoff walk, and Steven Kwan singled to put runners on base. Chase DeLauter drove in a run with a 105 mph double to right field, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, left-handed reliever Ian Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, ending the threat with runners on second and third.
Seymour pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and closer Bryan Baker finished the game with a perfect ninth inning on seven pitches, securing his fourth postseason save. Baker had posted a 1.44 ERA during the regular season.
The series now shifts to Cleveland for Game 3, scheduled for Thursday night. The Associated Press reported that neither team had announced a starter for the game, though Sportsnet noted that Gavin Williams is on schedule to start for the Guardians. Williams had a 14-8 record with a 3.76 ERA during the regular season.
The Rays’ victory highlights the impact of midseason acquisitions. In addition to Peralta, the Rays acquired Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins. The Guardians, who had won four straight postseason games prior to this loss, also relied on deadline additions like Nathaniel Lowe and Jo Adell in Game 1, but could not replicate that success in Game 2.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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