ST. PETERSBURG -- David Peralta only joined the Rays a few days ago, but he said he felt some pressure when he reported to Tropicana Field on Wednesday morning. On Sunday, his first game with his new team, the Rays lost. After a day off, they lost again Tuesday night.
As sad as he was to leave his longtime club in Arizona, Peralta had been thrilled to join a new team contending for a spot in the postseason. He wanted to experience the energy in the clubhouse after it won a game, and he hoped to be a part of the reason it celebrated.
“I'm like, 'Come on, David,’” Peralta said, smiling. “‘You've got to do something. You've got to do something, because we need to start winning.’”
The recently acquired veteran came through in a big spot on Wednesday afternoon, teaming up with fellow newcomer José Siri to produce the go-ahead run that sent Tampa Bay to a 3-2 win over Toronto at Tropicana Field. The victory allowed the Rays to earn a series split and snap a three-series losing streak since the All-Star break.
“Great group of guys. I like the way they play, the way they fight every at-bat, the way we've been playing,” Peralta said. “I love the energy and everything.”
The Rays traded for Siri on Monday because they believe in the untapped potential made clear by his eye-catching athletic ability. They picked up Peralta two days earlier because they badly needed a left-handed-hitting, veteran presence to stabilize their lineup. The newest Rays did what they were brought here to do in the sixth inning of their second game together.
“It's honestly expected at this point,” said reliever Ryan Thompson, who pitched two perfect innings, extending his scoreless streak to 15 appearances. “When [president of baseball operations] Erik [Neander] [GM] Pete [Bendix], they pull off deals -- whatever they are -- you just kind of expect them to be a big part. So when we got those guys, it was like, 'OK, it's just a matter of time before they start winning us games.’”
The pitching played a big part, of course, with lefty Ryan Yarbrough delivering four innings of one-run ball before Thompson, Pete Fairbanks and Jason Adam provided shutdown relief work. But the big rally came from the new guys.
With the game tied at 2 in the sixth, Siri led off against sidearming Blue Jays right-hander Adam Cimber. Siri took two pitches, lashed a low slider through the left side of the infield with an exit velocity of 107.6 mph and pointed into the Rays’ dugout on his way to first base.
The 27-year-old center fielder immediately dashed to steal second base, then advanced to third on Randy Arozarena’s groundout. The aggressive baserunning came as no surprise to manager Kevin Cash, who said the Rays had been informed, “If he gets a green light, he’s going to be ready to run."
“I'm aggressive. If I know the pitchers, I'm ready to go,” Siri said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “If he's slow, I'm gone.”
Up came Peralta, who fouled off five of the first six pitches he saw from Cimber. The right-hander was clearly working up and away from Peralta, who continued to pepper pitches down the left-field line, waiting for something he could drive.
Sure enough, Cimber left the seventh pitch of the at-bat a little lower and over the plate enough for Peralta to smack it into center field for a tiebreaking RBI single. Siri again gestured toward Tampa Bay’s dugout while trotting home, and Peralta did the same on his way to first base.
“It's always good when you do something special to help a team,” Peralta said. “Especially the winning run, you've got to celebrate with your teammates.”
For a team that has been scuffling at the plate and struggling to stay afloat amid an onslaught of injuries, the combination of Siri’s energy and athleticism and Peralta’s presence and professionalism could provide a needed spark. That was the idea when Tampa Bay acquired the two outfielders, and it played out on the field to support another strong pitching performance.
“We're going to lean on them,” Cash said. “Acquired them to [play] big roles on this team. Not just them -- we need the rest of the group to kind of follow suit and just be what they're capable of being.”
Afterward, Peralta got the celebration he’d been waiting for.
“I love it,” he said. “I'm looking forward to doing it many more times.”