DETROIT -- Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win Wednesday afternoon over the Tigers at Comerica Park, looking a lot like the pitcher who won 17 games last season. Those were the only hits for Detroit as relievers Kevin Kelly and Tyler Wells shut the door over the last three innings.
Peralta, who struck out four with no walks, gave up opposite-field singles to Dillon Dingler in the second inning and Brett Callahan in the sixth to dominate Detroit, much like he did the National League last August. He was 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA that month for the Brewers, who traded him and his 2.70 ERA in January to the Mets.
“Fastball” Freddy had been far from impressive this season, though. He entered the game at 5-11 with a 5.33 ERA for Tampa Bay and the Mets, who traded him on Aug. 2 for three prospects. He’d been 0-2 with a 7.17 ERA in four starts for the Rays.
“Mechanically, I had everything working today,” said Peralta. “It gave me more confidence earlier and Liam [Hicks] did a great job behind the plate of calling the pitches. He was awesome from the first pitch to the last one.”
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta: “Encouraged by everything he did. I think he’s built off every outing, but certainly the last two innings in Baltimore [on Friday]. More impressive, and it carried into today’s start. Big, big win and he set the tone early on.”
The victory enabled the first-place Rays (79-54) to win the rubber game of a three-game series with Detroit, breaking a season-high streak of three consecutive series losses.
The Rays got Peralta all the runs required in the second against Detroit starter Troy Melton, who entered with a 1.70 ERA. Chandler Simpson beat out an infield single and scored all the way from first on a screaming double pulled to the left-field corner by Jonny DeLuca. Cedric Mullins brought home DeLuca with a clutch two-out single before getting thrown out at second.
Elite setup reliever Kelly pitched two perfect innings before Wells came on for the save with a 1-2-3 ninth to celebrate his 32nd birthday. He had four saves for Baltimore before being traded to the Rays on Aug. 3, and this was his first one for his new club -- which afforded two consecutive days off for workhorse All-Star closer Bryan Baker.
Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan was prophetic with his pregame comments on Peralta and his work in building confidence and sharpening his arsenal with pitching coach Kyle Snyder.
“Great person. Great competitor. A great teammate and he’s been a workhorse so far, taking the ball,” McClanahan said. “And, you know, he’s only going to get better for us. That relationship with Snydes is going to grow and get deeper, and he’s going to be the best version of himself very soon.”
Peralta also had a good vibe going into this start.
“I feel amazing, really good,” he said Tuesday. “I know that I haven’t seen the results that I want yet, but I feel like I’m in the right spot. Hopefully, tomorrow I get the win and I can throw into the sixth or seventh inning.”
Peralta said adjusting his arm extension is “very important” to the mechanical changes he’s made under Snyder.
“He’s fully invested,” Cash said of Peralta’s work process with Snyder and bullpen coach Jorge Moncada. “Just realizing how good he is and he takes that confidence on the mound. And the messages between starts are a back-and-forth relationship that he has with Jorge and Kyle.
“But this is a guy who’s been a really good pitcher for quite some time now. So, I'm just happy to see him have a big game like today. … It means a lot and hopefully it continues. But he’s come in and engrained himself in the clubhouse. It feels like he’s been here for six months, and that’s a credit to him and the work that he puts in.”
Peralta finished his day by winning a challenge to get the third strike against Kevin McGonigle. He then walked to the dugout with slow strides, where Snyder greeted him with a high-five and hearty pat on the back.
“He came [over to me] and I didn’t know that I was going to [be done],” said Peralta. “But I felt really good with everything today, with the decision [to come out after 81 pitches]. It was amazing.”
Peralta, 30, didn’t go longer than six innings while having five consecutive scoreless starts last August and September, and has not had a complete-game shutout despite registering 76 wins in 189 starts over nine seasons.
“I know that I’m going to take it from here,” said Peralta. “I hope to get five or six more [wins]. Why not?”