Whatever the sport, Peralta 'brings the joy' -- and usually wins

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Freddy Peralta played the role of two-sport athlete on Sunday.

Less than two hours before his second Grapefruit League start of the spring, the recently acquired hurler launched shot after shot in a rambunctious basketball contest with fellow pitcher Luis García, shooting at the mini hoop hung inside the Mets’ Spring Training clubhouse.

Following the outing in his primary sport during the Mets’ 10-4 win over the Yankees at Clover Park, Peralta smiled when announcing he defeated García.

“Somebody has to bring me coffee,” Peralta said of his expected prize for winning.

While many pitchers like to keep to themselves in the hours prior to their starts, Peralta isn't afraid to enjoy himself.

“Just be myself every day,” Peralta said of his clubhouse philosophy. “It doesn't matter if I'm pitching or not pitching.”

That approach makes Peralta fun to work with once he takes the mound.

“He's the same guy,” catcher Francisco Alvarez said. “He likes to compete. He likes to have fun. He likes to be happy.”

Peralta's clubhouse demeanor is one of the most pleasant surprises for manager Carlos Mendoza.

“Watching him day to day, the way he interacts, this guy is just different,” Mendoza said. “This guy is genuine. He brings the joy. The quality of the person gets your attention. He's gifted in what he's able to do on the mound, but just the impact around the locker room – and it doesn't matter if you're Latin or American or wherever you come from. He's legit.”

Peralta brings that joy with him to the mound.

“I like to catch him,” Alvarez said. “He's a very positive guy.”

Peralta’s second Grapefruit League start didn't go as well as his first, but it still wasn't bad. Nine days after tossing three perfect innings against St. Louis, Peralta allowed two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out four in three innings.

George Lombard Jr. tripled in the first when his fly ball to left caromed off of the glove of A.J. Ewing as the left fielder collided with the wall, making Lombard the first batter to reach base against Peralta this spring.

Peralta lost his spring scoreless-inning streak one batter later when Spencer Jones singled to left. Jones would score the game's second run.

In that first inning, Peralta faced only two fewer batters – seven – than he did in his entire first outing.

“I told [pitching coach Justin Willard] earlier today that it's kind of good to have some traffic during the game, because it's going to happen during the season,” Peralta said. “And I was able to come out without much damage.”

Peralta needed 45 pitches (31 strikes) to get through his three innings. Incorporating more changeups and breaking balls into his final two innings, he finished strong, striking out four of the final five batters he faced.

Mendoza targeted 55 pitches for Peralta. After being pulled from the game, Peralta made up the difference by throwing in the bullpen.

“I thought it was good, especially with the way he was throwing his fastball today,” Mendoza said of Peralta's game performance. “We saw the velo picked up a little bit, just the life on it. They made him work, and that was good. It was good to see him trying to mess with hitters' timing with some of the quick pitches that he was doing, some of the slide steps. The curveball was good, and a couple good changeups there. Overall, a good day of work.”

The Mets acquired Peralta in a January trade with Milwaukee and have already named him their Opening Day starter. Peralta led the National League in wins last season, posting a 17-6 record in 33 starts with a 2.70 ERA.

A two-time NL All-Star who turns 30 in June, Peralta holds a career 70-42 record with a 3.59 ERA and a 29.9% strikeout rate during his first eight seasons – all with the Brewers. He has thrown at least 165 2/3 innings in each of the past three seasons.