ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have won each of the last nine starts made by right-hander Freddy Peralta.
The Rays would love nothing more than to extend that gaudy streak on Monday at suddenly boisterous Tropicana Field when Peralta takes the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers, his longtime organization, in Game 3 of the World Series.
Milwaukee holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic, courtesy of a 3-2 win in the series opener on Friday and a 5-4 decision the following night in which it overcame an early four-run deficit. Ten teams have overcome a 2-0 deficit to win the World Series, but none since the 1996 New York Yankees.
Looking to turn the tide, Tampa Bay can hang its hat on its success at home. The Rays sport a 59-27 record this season at Tropicana Field, which includes a 4-1 mark in the playoffs.
Peralta (2-0, 1.08 ERA) is no stranger to the Brewers, having spent the first eight seasons of his major league career with the club. In fact, he was teammates last year with 17 of the 26 players on the 2026 Brewers’ World Series roster.
After being traded to the New York Mets during the offseason, he stumbled out of the blocks to begin 2026 before joining Tampa Bay at the trade deadline.
Peralta made himself welcome with the Rays, posting a 0.90 ERA over his last nine starts. He was named the MVP of the American League Championship Series after winning two starts and earning a hold in a third win.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash seeks another strong outing from Peralta, who has permitted two runs with 12 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings in the postseason. He will be working on six days’ rest.
“Hopefully it’s a seven-inning boost of 105 pitches and he comes out of the ballgame with the lead,” Cash said on Sunday. “I’m very confident with all of our guys going. Excited to get back to the Trop and play. I know Freddy is the right guy to pitch Game 3 with us in a two-game deficit.”
Peralta, 30, didn’t fare well in his lone previous encounter with the Brewers. He allowed seven runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in the Mets’ 8-3 loss on July 20 in Milwaukee. Cooper Pratt and Andrew Vaughn took him deep.
Peralta also would be wise to pitch carefully to William Contreras, who is batting a robust 15-for-38 (.395) with three homers and seven RBIs in the playoffs. Contreras has two hits and an RBI in each game thus far in the World Series.
Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser (0-0, 1.00) will provide the opposition on Monday.
Gasser, 27, has been idle since Oct. 14, when he scattered three hits over five scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS.
“It starts with strikes,” Gasser said. “I feel if I’m able to locate everything in the zone — not even locate, but just fill it up, it gives me the best chance. We have one of the best defenses in baseball, and we have a great mind behind the plate (Contreras) that knows how to call a game. So relying on all those people.”
Gasser has yet to face the Rays in his career.
He likely will keep a keen eye on Tampa Bay first baseman Jonathan Aranda, who is 9-for-20 over his last five games — including four hits in the first two contests of the World Series. But Aranda, a left-handed hitter, has been far less productive against left-handed pitchers during his five-year MLB career.
The Rays are just 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position this series and have scored just one run after the fourth inning.
Cash had an explanation for the struggles.
“It’s called three names: (Abner) Uribe, (Aaron) Ashby and (Trevor) Megill. That’s why it’s been so challenging,” Cash said. “Those guys have been elite relievers all season long, and now we’re seeing it in front of our face, and they made it really challenging.”
Those three relievers have combined to allow one run on four hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
Ashby has cobbled together 15 2/3 scoreless innings, putting him one out shy of Andrew Miller’s MLB record to begin a postseason. Miller strung together 16 scoreless innings for the Cleveland Indians in 2016 before allowing his first run in Game 4 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.
–Field Level Media
