Freddy Peralta gave Tampa Bay 5 1/3 scoreless innings Friday night, extending the kind of late-season run that has put him squarely in the postseason rotation discussion. The Rays beat the Phillies 2-0 at Citizens Bank Park, playing with the edge of a club already headed to October while making Philadelphia wait a little longer on its own clinching plans.
The result
Tampa Bay had already secured everything available to it before arriving in Philadelphia, with nearly a week ahead to rest, shape its roster and arrange its pitching for the American League Division Series. Still, the Rays came into the weekend wanting a cleaner finish after two losses at Yankee Stadium.
“These are important games for Major League Baseball and important for us,” manager Kevin Cash said before the game. “I was not pleased with the way Thursday ended. We want to win games and put our best foot forward.”
The victory moved Tampa Bay to 97-63, matching the 2008 Rays for the third-highest win total in franchise history. Only the 2021 club, which won 100 games, and the 2023 team, which won 99, finished with more.
Philadelphia entered the night needing a win over Tampa Bay and an Arizona victory over San Diego to lock down the National League’s final Wild Card berth. The Rays made sure the Phillies could not complete their portion of that equation.
| Team | R |
|---|---|
| Rays | 2 |
| Phillies | 0 |
Peralta worked around four hits and three walks, repeatedly getting the outs he needed before handing the game to the bullpen with one out in the sixth. The veteran right-hander has gone 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA over his past six starts, a sharp turnaround following a difficult spell with the Mets and an uneven beginning after joining Tampa Bay.
The Rays gave him an early cushion against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez. Junior Caminero, Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca opened the first with consecutive singles. Nick Fortes added his sixth home run of the season in the second, sending a ball through the wind for the other Tampa Bay run.
Cam Booser preserved Peralta’s scoreless line in the sixth. The left-hander entered with runners at second and third and one out, then retired Bryson Stott and Bryan De La Cruz to leave both men aboard.
Bryan Baker closed it in the ninth. His 30th consecutive converted save chance gave him 41 saves for the season, tying Cade Smith for the Major League lead.
There was a brief concern in the sixth when Chandler Simpson fouled a ball off the top of his right foot and went down in pain. Simpson stayed in the at-bat and struck out, then returned to left field before being removed defensively in the seventh. Cedric Mullins entered in center field, with DeLuca moving to right and Vilade shifting to left.
The rotation next
Peralta’s outing added another strong piece of evidence as Tampa Bay weighs its October starters. The Rays have five healthy starters available for a Division Series likely to require only three, making every final regular-season appearance part of the decision.
The club also has more relief choices coming into view. Right-hander Manuel Rodríguez was activated Friday from the 15-day injured list after recovering from a low back strain.
“It feels really good to be fully back, 100 percent,” Rodríguez said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “We are trying to get back into a groove and help the team any way we can.”
Rodríguez made three rehab appearances with Triple-A Durham before that season concluded. He joined the Rays in New York earlier in the week but was not activated until Friday, after Tampa Bay had used Alex Cook, Mason Englert and Jake Woodford for bullpen coverage. Cash said Rodríguez is expected to pitch twice during this Philadelphia series to get himself ready for the postseason.
Setup man Tyler Wells and left-hander Garrett Cleavinger remain availability questions. Wells is dealing with right forearm tightness, while Cleavinger has left forearm tightness. Both have thrown bullpen sessions and are expected to pitch in Tampa Bay’s intrasquad workouts at Tropicana Field next Tuesday and Thursday.
For a Rays club with its October place secured, the weekend is now about finding the right balance: keep the competitive tone, get the returning arms their work and arrive at the Division Series healthy.
