Freddy Peralta’s Late Season Climb Suggests Another Slow Night For Yankee Hitters

The Tampa Bay Rays barely touched Gerrit Cole on Saturday, but they rallied just enough to cross the plate once, supporting Drew Rasmussen’s masterful near no-hit performance and taking Game 1 of the American League Division Series by a 1-0 score. Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning, struck out 10 and allowed just one hit as Tampa Bay completely frustrated the New York Yankees' lineup.

Yankees @ Rays Game Two Starters

The test certainly does not get easier Monday night.

The Yankees send 2026 American League Cy Young frontrunner Cam Schlittler to the mound at 8 p.m. at Tropicana Field, hoping their young ace can prevent the Rays from taking a commanding two game lead in the series. New York is once again favored, sitting around minus 126 on the moneyline entering the game.

That is where Freddy Peralta enters the picture.

Peralta has a different kind of motivation heading into Game 2. After spending the first half of the season with the New York Mets, the former Milwaukee Brewers ace was traded to Tampa Bay at the August 2 trade deadline. His Mets tenure was a disappointment, as he went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts.

Since arriving in Tampa Bay, Peralta has more closely resembled the ace starting pitcher that the Mets had been hoping for.

He went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts for the Rays, but September was where things really jelled. Peralta went 4-0 with a microscopic 0.96 ERA over 28 innings, striking out 23 and posting a 0.89 WHIP. Opponents hit just .165 against him in September. That performance earned Freddy the American League Pitcher of the Month honors.

Peralta Hits The Spotlight

There is also a little extra motivation for Peralta tonight.

His former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, are battling San Diego in the National League Division Series while Peralta prepares for his own 2026 MLB postseason opportunity. After six postseason trips with the Brewers, this is his first playoff appearance with the Rays. Peralta has made it clear that the trade changed things for him, saying that he feels like he has been treated like a "king" since arriving in Tampa Bay.

Now he has a chance to leave an imprint on New York.

Peralta does not need to dominate the Yankees. He just needs to be himself, by forcing weak contact, generating a few timely strikeouts, obviously keeping the score low and then hand the game over to Kevin Cash’s fully rested bullpen, after six innings, with the Rays in position to win.

Schlittler Yet To Disappoint In The Postseason

Standing in his way is Schlittler, who is likely to light up the radar gun with triple digit velocity. The Yankees newly minted ace finished the regular season with a 14-6 record, 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts. He also posted an impressive 1.16 ERA on the road.

Still, the Rays present a fascinating challenge. Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda are among the better fastball hitters in the game, and the Rays have been one of MLB’s more difficult teams to strike out. Schlittler allowed TB to score against him during the regular season, finishing with a 2.81 ERA over 16 innings against the Rays.

It is unlikely that Schlittler suddenly loses the command that made him the Cy Young frontrunner for the American League. Yet postseason baseball has a way of exposing even the smallest weakness.

The Rays will not get many opportunities tonight. Their advantage is that they have consistently shown an ability to capitalize when those opportunities arrive. They don't need five or six runs. They may not even need three.

If they can scratch out one early run against Schlittler, Peralta’s recent form suggests he is capable of making it stand.

The Cover is taking the Rays tonight.

Prediction: Rays 2, Yankees 1.

Tampa Bay takes a 2 to 0 series lead and heads to New York with an opportunity to complete the sweep.