Drew Rasmussen's eight innings of one-hit ball is a hard act to follow, but the Tampa Rays have announced the pitcher who will try.
Freddy Peralta will start Game 2 of the Rays' American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Sunday, the team announced on Saturday.
Yankees ace and American League Cy Young favourite Cam Schlittler will toe the rubber on the other side.
Peralta's season was a tale of two halves, as the right-hander struggled to a 4.99 ERA over 22 starts with the New York Mets, before joining the Rays at the deadline and pitching to a 3.25 ERA over his final 10 outings.
The 30-year-old has nine career post-season appearances — six of them starts — with a 4.32 ERA, 41 strikeouts and 13 walks over 33.1 innings, all with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Peralta made three starts during the Brewers' run to the NLCS in 2025, last pitching in a Game 2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He will face a Yankees lineup chock-full of left-handed hitters. New York started eight lefties in Game 1: Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Spencer Jones, Luis Garcia Jr., Austin Wells, Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon.
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