Freddy Peralta wins ALCS MVP after helping Rays reach World Series
The Tampa Bay pitcher went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA against Cleveland and started the 7-3 Game 6 victory that sent the Rays through.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta was named American League Championship Series MVP after the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 on Monday, October 19, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Peralta’s work across three appearances helped send Tampa Bay to the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Peralta went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance, according to the Associated Press. In the deciding game, he allowed one run and five hits over 5⅓ innings. Rays manager Kevin Cash announced the award on the postgame stage, calling him ‘Fastball Freddy,’ AP reported.
How Peralta shaped the series against Cleveland
The right-hander threw six scoreless innings in Game 2. His brief Game 4 relief outing also came at a critical point: CBS Sports reported that he entered with the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate, then retired Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter to protect a one-run lead. Peralta appeared in three of Tampa Bay’s four wins in the series.
‘This is crazy,’ Peralta said after receiving the award, according to AP. ‘I’m very happy to be here, to be part of this great group and this organization.’ His award follows the Rays’ Game 6 victory, which had already secured their World Series place; the individual honor recognizes his contribution across the series.
Peralta joined Tampa Bay from the New York Mets in an August 2 trade. AP reported that he had gone 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for New York, then went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts for the Rays. He was selected as the AL pitcher of the month for September.
World Series matchup with Peralta’s former team
The World Series will put Peralta against Milwaukee, where he spent eight seasons before the Brewers traded him to the Mets in January. ‘Milwaukee is always going to be in my heart, but it’s time to compete,’ he said, according to AP. ‘I’m grateful to be here and excited to go home.’
It is Tampa Bay’s third American League pennant. NBC News reported that Milwaukee finished the regular season with an MLB-high 103 wins and Tampa Bay had 98, the best records in their respective leagues. Milwaukee won two of their three meetings in the first week of the season. The best-of-seven World Series opens Friday night in Milwaukee, according to The Guardian.
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Sources and context
- `Fastball Freddy' Peralta earns ALCS MVP award after pitching the Rays into the World SeriesAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Rays' Freddy Peralta named ALCS MVP after two starts, including Game 6 clincher, one relief appearanceCBS Sports
- Tampa Bay Rays advance to World Series, will face Milwaukee BrewersNBC News
- World Series will have first-time champion as Rays set up showdown with BrewersThe Guardian (article labeled “Agencies”; underlying origin not identified)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.