Freddy Peralta threw the hardest pitch of his career as Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 3-1 to tie the ALCS.
By the numbers: Freddy Peralta struck out six over six scoreless innings in Tampa Bay's 3-1 win, tying the American League Championship Series at one game apiece.
- Peralta's 99.4 mph fastball to Jo Adell in the fifth inning was the hardest pitch of his nine-year career. He reached at least 97 mph 29 times and threw 99 pitches, his most since joining the Rays.
- His regular-season fastball averaged 94.3 mph. Peralta finished his night by striking out Petey Halpin as the Tropicana Field crowd chanted his name.
Zoom in: Tampa Bay scored all three runs in the fourth after José Ramírez mishandled Ben Williamson's two-out grounder. The error brought home the first run before Liam Hicks drove in two more with a single.
What they're saying: "The adrenaline plays a big role," Peralta said. He described himself as a competitor who grew up in the Dominican Republic watching the kind of high-energy games that bring out his best.
What's next: The series moves to Cleveland for Game 3 on Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern. The Guardians host the next three games after the teams split the first two in Tampa.
Why it matters: Tampa Bay avoided an 0-2 deficit and reset the matchup to a best of five. Teams with home-field advantage that split the first two games have won 53.9% of seven-game series.
