Freddy Peralta, Liam Hicks lift the Rays to a 3-1 win over the Guardians that evens the ALCS at 1-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — With the crowd chanting his name, a fired-up Freddy Peralta pumped one fastball after another past hitters all night long.

Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after José Ramírez's fielding error and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the AL Championship Series at 1-1.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Cleveland.

Peralta threw the hardest pitch of his big league career at 99.4 mph and relied on his four-seam fastball on 71 of 99 pitches — his 71.7% usage was his highest since June 11, 2019.

“It’s no secret that I trust in my fastball a lot and it’s my best pitch,” Peralta said.

Peralta's 96.9 mph average fastball velocity was 2.6 mph above his season average.

“It plays a big role, the adrenaline,” Peralta said. “And also I define myself as a competitor, and I like these kind of games. I’ve always said in the past, that I enjoyed this as a Dominican pitcher. I grew up watching the games in D.R., and that’s the game that you see. And I got used to that because I grew up watching it. And I feel that I have that in me, in myself. And that’s the way that I feel when I am on the mound in these kind of games.”

Peralta pumped a fist and screamed joyfully walking off the mound in the sixth after fanning Petey Halpin swinging at a 3-2 changeup.

“I just enjoyed the moment because it was a really good at-bat,” Peralta said. “It wasn’t an easy game since the first pitch that I threw until the last one. It was a lot of competition between me and the hitters. ... I think that was why I was fired up like that.”

Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.

Junior Caminero walked to start that inning and Victor Mesa Jr. grounded into a forceout originally ruled a double play. The Rays challenged the calls at both first and second and Mesa was ruled safe when a video review overturned the out decision by first base umpire Mark Ripperger.

After Jonny DeLuca struck out, Chandler Simpson beat out a high chopper to shortstop, and the Mesa reached third standing up when Ramírez failed to cover the bag.

Ben Williamson followed with a grounder that scooted underneath Ramírez’s glove and between his legs after the ball hit the edge where the artificial turf met the infield dirt. The third baseman played back rather than charging.

“It's a little bit faster here this type of surface,” Ramirez said through a translator. “It's frustrating. I feel bad.”

Williamson reached second and Simpson went to third. Hicks drove the next pitch to right-center for a 3-0 lead, electrifying the towel-waving, cowbell-ringing crowd of 32,125 fans at Tropicana Field.

Peralta and three relievers didn’t need any more support.

“I think the velocity really stood out,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Peralta.

Kevin Kelly got two outs in the seventh, retiring Ramírez on a fly ball to center with two runners on.

Lefty Ian Seymour replaced him and Chase DeLauter lined an RBI double to the right-field corner.

Seymour struck out Jo Adell swinging at a changeup, leaving runners at second and third. Seymour pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bryan Baker finished with a perfect ninth for his fourth postseason save.

Acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, Peralta turned around his season in Tampa Bay going 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after posting a 4.99 ERA for New York.

He pitched his latest gem in front of Mets owner Steve Cohen, who was in attendance.

“We have a good relationship,” Peralta said of Cohen. “I think he’s awesome. And I’m happy that he was here watching, not watching me, watching the Rays.”

Messick, who grew up going to Rays games at the Trop, took the loss after giving up six hits and the three unearned runs in five innings.

Cleveland had won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.

The 98-win Rays swept the New York Yankees before a 7-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday.

That was their first loss in two weeks. Now, they're back on the winning track and need three more in a series that's reduced to a best of five to advance to their third World Series.

After batting cleanup in the first two games against the Yankees and sixth in Game 3 of that series, Hicks wasn't in the lineup against lefty Foster Griffin on Monday and batted eighth against Messick.

He doesn't care where he hits.

“This lineup is so good, you can hit anywhere in the lineup, and you’re not getting offended,” Hicks said. “There’s going to be opportunities.”

Caminero leaped to his left to snag Steven Kwan's hard liner to third in the fifth and then wagged a finger toward the batter. Caminero, who played all 162 games in the regular season and hit 42 home runs, was in the lineup after a collision with DeLuca on a foul ball in the ninth inning Monday night.

Rays RHP Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.52 ERA) starts Thursday night. He struck out four and gave up one run in two innings of relief against the Yankees. RHP Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76) is expected to start for the Guardians. Williams started Games 2 and 5 against the White Sox and tossed an inning in relief in Game 4. He had 24 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez watches during the second inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick reacts during the second inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates after striking out Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin during the sixth inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays' Junior Caminero celebrates after scoring against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta celebrates the last out in the top of the fifth inning in Game 2 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in St. Petersburg, Fla. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

CHICAGO (AP) — It took all of one game for Connor Bedard to provide a reminder of his importance to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Bedard had a successful season debut Tuesday night, helping Chicago to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 21-year-old center recorded a primary assist in the first period and showed promising chemistry while playing alongside Patrick Kane and Roman Kantserov.

It was Bedard's first game since he had surgery on his left shoulder on July 8.

“Just to be back out there ... it’s what I live for,” he said. “And it was just so much fun.”

Chicago was outscored 26-12 while dropping five of its first six games without Bedard, who had a team-high 45 assists and 75 points last season. The Blackhawks managed a total of three goals in their previous two games before the victory over the Penguins.

Bedard got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in Western Canada this summer. After the operation, the team said he would be sidelined for approximately four months.

“You never really know how things are going to go,” he said. “I put a lot of time and effort into the rehab process to try and maybe come back a little earlier than I guess originally expected, but at the end of the day it’s just when they felt comfortable. So it was safe for me to get back out there."

Bedard skated for more than 21 minutes and had three shots on goal. He was 6 for 14 on face-offs.

“Overall, like to miss what he’s missed and to be able to come out and play that well is pretty impressive,” coach Jeff Blashill said.

It was Bedard's first game since he became the second-youngest captain in the history of the Original Six franchise on Sept. 15. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract in July.

Bedard played with Kane and Kantserov on the team's top line and power-play unit, and it looks as if the trio could be a dangerous combination for Chicago. Nick Lardis was assigned to Rockford of the AHL to make room for Bedard on the roster.

Chicago and Pittsburgh were tied at 1 when Bedard made a nice touch pass to Kantserov, who beat Sergei Murashov on the goaltender's stick side for a power-play goal with 2:10 left in the first.

Bedard had a prime scoring opportunity with about nine minutes remaining in the opening period, but he was turned away by Murashov.

“He was great,” Kane said. “It looked like he was skating well. It looked like he was making plays. Had some really good chances, some nice passes. I thought it was a great night for him.”

Bedard made his NHL debut against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in 2023. He was heralded as the new face of the Blackhawks, and he won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year.

He missed 12 games last season after he hurt his right shoulder on Dec. 12. He wasn't allowed to take faceoffs after he returned, but he has no restrictions this year.

“It’s nice. I mean, you want to just play your full game,” Bedard said. “So just get back out there and you want to play as free as you can. It’s nice that we had two practices for me to get into and feel some bumps and get into battles and stuff where it’s not as controlled.”

While Bedard returned, Frank Nazar missed the matchup with the Penguins. The 22-year-old forward finished his two-game suspension for an illegal check on New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat on Thursday night.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) skates away from Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Harry Figiel)

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) skates against Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Harry Figiel)

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) celebrates a goal by Chicago Blackhawks right wing Roman Kantserov, not pictured, during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Harry Figiel)

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) skates against Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Harry Figiel)

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Harry Figiel)

FILE - Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard handles the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, March 20, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)