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The Milwaukee Brewers opted to wait until this afternoon to name their starter for game three of the NLDS, but when Craig Counsell did make the announcement, it came as little surprise. Freddy Peralta will get the ball and set to toe the slab opposite Ian Anderson tomorrow afternoon at Truist Park in Cobb County, GA.
* @Brewers Game 3 starter: Freddy Peralta. pic.twitter.com/JEgDpq4p4S
— Sophia Minnaert (@SophiaMinnaert) October 10, 2021
Peralta was a breakout star for the Brewers this year, his first full season in the starting rotation. In 28 games (27 starts) and 144.1 innings, Freddy worked to a 2.81 ERA and 3.12 FIP. He struck out 12.2 batters per nine innings, and continued an MLB career-long trend of lowering his walk rate in each season of his four-year tenure in the big leagues — 3.5 BB/9, which along with a low 5.2 H/9, led to a stellar 0.970 WHIP. Opponents hit just .165 against Peralta with a hard hit rate of merely 19%.
Peralta has appeared in two previous postseasons with the Brewers, but this will be his first ever start in the playoffs. Peralta warmed up to possibly pitch in game one on what was his normal throw-day in between starts, tossing about 25 pitches while getting hot in the ‘pen but never entering the game. Peralta has family coming to the game, and has been motivated by them as well the other stalwarts in the starting rotation alongside him this year.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference