Freddy Peralta delivered a dominant debut victory for his new team Wednesday night, pitching six scoreless innings as the Tampa Bay Rays shut out the Detroit Tigers 3-0.
Peralta, who was acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, earned his first win with Tampa Bay and improved to 6-11 on the season. The right hander had gone winless in his previous four starts with his new club before finally breaking through against Detroit.
Peralta was in complete control throughout the night, allowing just two singles while striking out four and issuing no walks. His efficient performance helped the Rays turn a tight game into a comfortable victory while keeping the Tigers’ offense off the scoreboard.
Tampa Bay jumped ahead in the second inning. Chandler Simpson opened the inning with an infield single and quickly came around to score when Jonny DeLuca lined a double. DeLuca advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on Cedric Mullins’ two out base hit, giving the Rays a 2-0 advantage.
The Rays added an insurance run in the sixth. Tampa Bay collected two hits before Liam Hicks drove in the third run with a sacrifice fly.
The three run cushion was more than enough for Tampa Bay’s pitching staff. Kevin Kelly followed Peralta by tossing two scoreless innings, and Tyler Wells closed out the ninth for his fifth save of the season.
Detroit starter Troy Melton pitched well enough to keep the Tigers within striking distance, but he was charged with the loss. Melton, now 7-3, allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings and has fallen to 0-2 in his last four starts.
The victory was especially important for Tampa Bay after both clubs entered the game having lost their previous three series. After splitting the first two games of the series, the Rays’ pitching staff ensured they would avoid another series loss.
The AL East-leading Rays improved to 79-54 and have won three of their last four games. Detroit fell to 62-71 and continued its recent struggles, losing 10 of its last 12 games.
Wednesday’s game was a showcase for Tampa Bay’s pitching efficiency. Neither team drew a walk, and the contest lasted only 2 hours, 3 minutes.
With Peralta setting the tone and the bullpen finishing the job, the Rays earned a convincing shutout and another important victory as they continue their push atop the American League East.
