Peralta lifts Rays to even ALCS at 1-1

‘FEEL BAD’: Jose Ramirez, who starred for the Cleveland Guardians in their AL Division Series, misplayed a grounder in the third inning that led to three costly unearned runs

• AP, ST PETERSBURG, Florida

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With the crowd chanting his name, a fired-up Freddy Peralta on Tuesday pumped one fastball after another past hitters all night long.

Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball and Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after Jose Ramirez’s fielding error as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 to even the American League Championship Series (ALCS) at 1-1.

Peralta threw the hardest pitch of his big league career at 159.97kph and relied on his four-seam fastball on 71 of 99 pitches — his 71.7 percent usage was his highest since June 11, 2019.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta reacts after pitching against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida, on Tuesday.

Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

“It’s no secret that I trust in my fastball a lot and it’s my best pitch,” Peralta said.

Peralta’s 155.95kph average fastball velocity was 4.18kph above his season average.

“It plays a big role, the adrenaline,” Peralta said. “And also I define myself as a competitor, and I like these kind of games. I’ve always said in the past, that I enjoyed this as a Dominican pitcher. I grew up watching the games in DR [Dominican Republic], and that’s the game that you see.”

Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.

“I just enjoyed the moment because it was a really good at-bat,” Peralta said. “It wasn’t an easy game since the first pitch that I threw until the last one. It was a lot of competition between me and the hitters... I think that was why I was fired up like that.”

Ramirez — whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series — misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.

Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr grounded into a force out originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.

After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramirez failed to cover the bag.

Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramirez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.

“It’s a little bit faster here this type of surface,” Ramirez said through a translator. “It’s frustrating. I feel bad because I wasn’t able to make that play and after that the runs came in.”

Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.

Peralta and three relievers did not need any more support.

Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramirez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.

Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.

Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth post-season save.

Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.

He pitched his latest gem in front of Mets owner Steve Cohen, who was in attendance.

“We have a good relationship,” Peralta said of Cohen. “I think he’s awesome, and I’m happy that he was here watching, not watching me, watching the Rays.”