ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays are back at Tropicana Field tonight with a chance to put the New York Yankees in a deep hole.
After blanking New York 1-0 in Game 1, the Rays can move to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five American League Division Series if they handle Game 2. Drew Rasmussen set the tone in the opener, shutting down the Yankees’ bats and giving Tampa Bay exactly the kind of start it needed.
This time, the ball goes to Freddy Peralta, who has been locked in at the right time. Peralta was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for September after going 4-0 and giving up just three runs over 28 innings. It’s been quite a turnaround for a pitcher who went through a rough patch earlier in the season with the Mets before the Rays brought him in at the trade deadline.
Peralta said the change of scenery and the support he found in Tampa Bay helped him get back on track.
“I was happy there. Obviously, I wasn’t in the spot I wanted to be when I talk about how my numbers were over there.
But this is baseball. Everything changed when I got traded,” Peralta said.
“I’ve been treated here as a king, and I feel really good about it. They welcomed me really well here.
For me and my family is a great opportunity.”
New York will counter with Cam Schlittler, who comes into Game 2 as the American League Cy Young Award front-runner. He’ll be pitching in what should be another loud, packed building, with Tropicana Field expected to host another sellout crowd of more than 40,000 fans.
Game 1 brought one of the biggest and loudest crowds the stadium has ever seen, and Schlittler said he expects plenty of Yankees fans to make themselves heard again.
“I wouldn’t say there is too much of an away crowd here. I expect there to be a lot of Yankees’ fans,” Schlittler said.
“In some ways, you are, to an extent, kind of playing at home. The guys are excited to have that atmosphere here.”
First pitch is set for shortly after 8 p.m. The Rays can seize a commanding edge in the series, while the Yankees are trying to get things even before the matchup shifts to New York.
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Offensively, Simpson has kept forcing opposing clubs to adjust, and Rays manager Kevin Cash has pointed to his ability to adapt as defenses and pitch plans change around him. Simpson finished second in the American League batting average race and led the league in multi-hit games and singles, production that makes him a problem even when teams think they have the right approach. For a Rays club always looking for the next edge, Simpson is becoming the kind of everyday difference-maker that can shift the tone around the roster. [Read more 🡒]