Key Takeaways
- • Rays starter Freddy Peralta pitched six shutout innings to lead Tampa Bay to a 3-1 Game 2 win over the Cleveland Guardians, evening the ALCS at 1-1.
- • Mets owner Steve Cohen attended Game 2 at Tropicana Field, a fact Peralta said he did not know about beforehand.
- • Peralta, acquired by the Rays at the trade deadline after a 4.99 ERA with the Mets, has not allowed more than one earned run in his past eight starts and reached 99.4 mph on his fastball in Game 2.
- • Peralta described a good relationship with Cohen, citing a text and conversations after the trade and in Spring Training.
Summary
Tampa Bay Rays starter Freddy Peralta was pleasantly surprised to learn that Mets owner Steve Cohen was among the fans at Tropicana Field for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, according to ClutchPoints. The Rays won 3-1 over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday, evening the series at 1-1. Peralta pitched six shutout innings, and he reached 99.4 mph on his fastball during the outing.
Peralta's performance marks a turnaround from his time with New York. He carried a 4.99 ERA with the Mets, who were in the middle of a difficult 2026 season, before the Rays acquired him at the trade deadline. Since joining Tampa Bay, he has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his past eight starts.
In his postgame press conference, as relayed by Foul Territory on X, Peralta said he had no idea Cohen would attend and was unsure whether Cohen came to watch the game or to see him. He said the two have a good working relationship, noting that Cohen texted him and spoke with him after the trade and had regular communication during Spring Training. "I think that he's awesome and I'm happy that he was here, not watching me, but watching the Rays," Peralta said.
Peralta's performance marks a turnaround from his time with New York. He carried a 4.99 ERA with the Mets, who were in the middle of a difficult 2026 season, before the Rays acquired him at the trade deadline. Since joining Tampa Bay, he has not allowed more than one earned run in any of his past eight starts.
In his postgame press conference, as relayed by Foul Territory on X, Peralta said he had no idea Cohen would attend and was unsure whether Cohen came to watch the game or to see him. He said the two have a good working relationship, noting that Cohen texted him and spoke with him after the trade and had regular communication during Spring Training. "I think that he's awesome and I'm happy that he was here, not watching me, but watching the Rays," Peralta said.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.