National Sports

Milwaukee torn on Rays’ pitcher Peralta

MILWAUKEE -- Freddy Peralta spent his first eight major league seasons trying to help the Milwaukee Brewers earn the World Series berth that continually eluded them.

Peralta is finally in the Fall Classic. So are the Brewers. Just on opposite sides.

Even in a different uniform, Peralta has received cheers from the Milwaukee crowds as his Tampa Bay Rays try to prevent the Brewers from winning their first World Series title. Peralta will be Tampa Bay’s starting pitcher in Game 3 tonight in St. Petersburg, Florida. Milwaukee leads the Series 2-0.

“It is a little weird,” Peralta said Saturday. “I’ve been trying to focus on what I have to focus because even when I came out yesterday for practice, all the people, all the fans here (were) showing me some love, screaming my name. Also, when I went to the bullpen last night, they were telling me, ‘We still love you.’ It’s amazing.”

Perhaps this strange situation is the most fitting way for Peralta’s roller-coaster season to conclude.

Peralta went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA for the New York Mets before going to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Just over two months later, he was named the most valuable player of the AL Championship Series.

Tampa Bay has won each of Peralta’s last nine starts. He has posted an MLB-leading 0.90 ERA during that stretch. Peralta has allowed two runs over 16 2/3 innings this postseason.

“I feel like he’s kind of come back to being Freddy Peralta with us,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Shining in Tampa

Peralta went 70-42 with a 3.59 ERA for the Brewers from 2018-25, making two All-Star teams. He had only one year remaining on his contract when the Brewers traded him in January for pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams.

As the Mets struggled this season, Peralta endured one of the worst stretches of his career. He allowed seven runs over 5 1/3 innings in an 8-3 loss at Milwaukee on July 20 that caused his ERA to rise to 5.01.

Peralta was asked Saturday what went wrong in New York.

“Sometimes I ask the same question myself,” Peralta replied. “I don’t try to make excuses and all that. The good thing, I was feeling really good physically. I was trying to give the best of myself as always, and I prepared how I should be preparing.”