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Liam Hicks and Freddy Peralta Are Proving Erik Neander Right in October
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- Liam Hicks and Freddy Peralta Are Proving Erik Neander Right in October
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Tampa Bay Rays evened the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night, picking up a much-needed 3-1 victory at Tropicana Field.
And while there are plenty of things to discuss about the performance, I think one of the biggest stories continues to be the impact of Erik Neander's trade deadline moves.
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Especially when you look at what Freddy Peralta and Liam Hicks have accomplished.
Let's start with Peralta.
When Tampa Bay acquired the right-hander from the New York Mets, there were certainly questions about what the Rays were getting.
Peralta was struggling with a 4.99 ERA in New York, and it wasn't necessarily a move that immediately made Tampa Bay look like a World Series contender.
However, things have changed quite a bit since then.
Peralta was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for September, and he's continued that success into October.
Against Cleveland, Peralta went six scoreless innings while striking out six batters, allowing just four hits in the process.
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During the game, his fastball reached 98 mph while he continued mixing in his changeup and curveball.
That's pretty impressive considering where things stood when Tampa Bay acquired him.
Peralta has now allowed just one earned run across more than 10 postseason innings.
And I think it's fair to say he's become one of the most important pieces of Tampa Bay's pitching staff.
But Peralta isn't the only trade deadline acquisition making an impact.
Liam Hicks delivered arguably the biggest offensive moment of Game 2.
With Tampa Bay looking to take advantage of a Cleveland defensive mistake in the fourth inning, Hicks came through with a first-pitch, two-RBI single that helped extend the Rays' lead.
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And that hit became even more important considering Tampa Bay managed just seven hits throughout the contest.
Hicks wasn't necessarily having the best postseason offensively coming into Tuesday night.
However, he looked much more comfortable at the plate against Cleveland, putting together some quality at-bats against left-handed pitching.
And when the Rays needed somebody to deliver, Hicks answered.
That's something Tampa Bay has been able to rely on throughout the season.
Neander has consistently found ways to bring in players who can contribute, even when those moves don't necessarily receive much attention around baseball.
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And while there are still plenty of games left before Tampa Bay can start thinking about a World Series appearance, the impact of those acquisitions is becoming difficult to ignore.
Peralta is giving the Rays outstanding starting pitching, and Hicks just delivered one of the biggest hits of their postseason.
Both arrived at the trade deadline.
And I think Neander deserves plenty of credit for putting Tampa Bay in this position.
