Freddy Peralta turned in his most impressive performance since joining the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching six shutout innings to secure his initial win with the organization in a 3-0 victory against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
Peralta, who now holds a 6-11 record, had been waiting through five outings for his first triumph after being acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline. He allowed just two singles, recorded four strikeouts, and walked no batters as Tampa Bay’s bullpen completed the shutout effort.
Peralta sets the pace for Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay struck first in the second inning when Chandler Simpson reached base on an infield hit and scored following Jonny DeLuca’s double. DeLuca moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and Cedric Mullins brought him home with a two-out base hit.
The Rays added to their lead in the sixth frame. Consecutive hits created the scoring chance, and Liam Hicks delivered the third run with a sacrifice fly.
Peralta’s six scoreless innings provided a solid platform, while Kevin Kelly contributed two innings of relief work. Tyler Wells then closed out the ninth to notch his fifth save of the season.
The Tigers could not manufacture any offense against Tampa Bay’s pitchers, and neither team drew a single walk during the contest. The game wrapped up in just 2 hours and 3 minutes.
Detroit starter Troy Melton lasted seven innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits. He slipped to 0-2 over his last four starts and absorbed the loss, dropping his season mark to 7-3.
Both squads entered the series after losing their previous three series, but they had split the first two matchups of the week. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff ultimately prevented another defeat.
The AL East-leading Rays improved to 79-54 after winning three of their past four games. Detroit fell to 62-71 and has now dropped 10 of its last 12 contests.
Tampa Bay enjoys a day off Thursday before hosting the San Diego Padres for a three-game set. Shane McClanahan, who holds a 9-6 record with a 3.10 ERA, is slated to start Friday, while San Diego has not yet announced its probable pitcher.
Detroit also rests Thursday before opening a three-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Drew Anderson, with a 4-5 record and a 4.09 ERA, is scheduled to take the mound for the Tigers.
The series opener will also feature Detroit’s first encounter with former ace Tarik Skubal. The left-hander comes in with an 8-7 record and a 2.91 ERA.
