The Tampa Bay Rays have evened up the American League Championship Series with a 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Once again, pitching was the focus. The two teams are tied 1-1, as the two teams head to Cleveland for Games 3-5.

It's not too surprising that it's been a close series through the first two games. After all, it's two teams that operate under a similar model. They are small-market teams that are innovative with their pitching development. The Guardians and Rays are the bottom-two payrolls in the American League, but finished with the top two seeds in the postseason bracket.

The difference in Game 2 came from the two key players the Rays acquired at the trade deadline. Freddy Peralta and Liam Hicks highlight the players the club acquired in early August. Both players delivered in big moments in their win.

Fastball Freddy Silences Guardians

The reason the Rays traded for Freddy Peralta was because they felt his fastball played up in their home ballpark. That's why they've lined him up to start Game 2. Both his starts in the series will come at Tropicana Field, assuming the Rays maintain a four-man rotation for the ALCS.

Peralta dominated the Guardians with his fastball. 71 of his 99 pitches on the night were four-seam fastballs. MLB's Sarah Langs notes it's his highest fastball usage since June 11, 2019. Peralta was still establishing himself with the Milwaukee Brewers at the time.

Peralta's fastball had some extra kick. The pitch averaged 96.9 MPH, a 2.6-MPH increase compared to his regular-season average. Obviously, the postseason mandates that he throw his best pitches from the get-go, but it's still a substantial increase. Langs also notes that it's the most pitches that registered a velocity of at least 97.0 MPH in any start of his career.

As a result of his fastball, Peralta fired six scoreless innings against the Guardians. The Rays bullpen took care of the rest, limiting Cleveland to one run in the final three frames. Ian Seymour and Bryan Baker retired the final seven hitters faced to close it out.

Rays Trade Deadline Pickups Star in Game 2 Win

Peralta wasn't the only trade deadline acquisition to make an impact in this game. The Rays acquired his batterymate, Liam Hicks, in a separate trade with the Miami Marlins.

Tampa Bay traded three prospects, including 2023 first-rounder Brayden Taylor, to land Hicks from the Marlins. The 27-year-old enjoyed a breakout season at the plate, hitting .284 with 18 home runs and an .801 OPS in 142 games between the Marlins and Rays.

In addition to the strong night behind the plate, Hicks contributed at the plate. Facing All-Star left-hander Parker Messick, the 27-year-old roped a single to right-center to score two runs. That gave the Rays a 3-0 lead. An error by José Ramírez at third base extended the inning and brought Hicks up to the plate.