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Mets’ Freddy Peralta bringing good vibes to clubhouse with stars in WBC: ‘I’m just myself every day’

Freddy Peralta capped off a solid weekend for the Mets, both in Port St. Lucie and elsewhere in the World Baseball Classic. There were two pitching performances in Grapefruit League play that have the team feeling optimistic about their starting rotation, one from Kodai Senga and one from Peralta, and another from Clay Holmes for Team USA. Carson Benge had a 2-for-3 day with an RBI Sunday against the Yankees, and Juan Soto had a walkoff home run for the Dominican Republic.

Camp might be quiet at the moment with several players away from the Mets to play for their respective countries, but as long as Peralta is around, there is always plenty of energy. Prior to his Sunday start at Clover Park, the right-hander won a clubhouse basketball game, winning coffee from a teammate.

The 30-year-old Peralta always seems to be in a good mood. His reputation preceded him well before the Mets acquired him from the Milwaukee Brewers in January, and he’s lived up to it since reporting to his new team. With Peralta around, things are light and loose, even on days when he’s pitching.

“That’s how I’ve done it my whole career,” he told reporters Sunday after the Mets’ 10-4 Grapefruit League win over the Yankees. “I’m just myself every day, it [doesn’t] matter if I’m pitching or not pitching.”

The Yankees took two earned runs off Peralta on Sunday over three innings, with both coming in the first inning. A two-run rally keyed by some of the Bombers’ top prospects started with a triple by George Lombard Jr., and an RBI single by Spencer Jones. Then Jones swiped second and Seth Brown sent him home with a single that dropped right into no-man’s land as two outfielders and the shortstop converged.

The Yankees jumped on Peralta’s fastball. Between innings, Peralta and catcher Francisco Alvarez adjusted the game plan. He then went heavy on the changeup and mixed in more curveballs.

“After the first inning, me and Alvy, we had a conversation and we decided it was the right way to do it,” Peralta said. “We saw that they were swinging a little, like trying to hunt the fastball early, and we tried to miss a little bit more.”

The results were four strikeouts and more ground balls. Peralta retired the side in order in the second and third innings.

“They made him work,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “It was good to see him try to mess with hitters’ timing with some of the quick-pitches he was doing, and some of the drop-steps. The curveball was good and there were a couple of changeups that worked for him.”

Soto had a slow start to his spring, but a 419-foot homer to right-center field against the Netherlands gave the Dominican Republic team a seventh-inning walk-off win via the mercy rule. The Dominican Republic won 12-1, with former Mets’ right-hander Luis Severino earning the win.

The joy the Latin American teams are playing with has captured the attention of fans watching the global tournament. The Dominicans and Venezuelans have been dancing in the dugouts and the Puerto Rican team was absolutely jubilant after Saturday night’s extra-inning walk-off win over Panama.

Darell Hernaiz, a 24-year-old A’s farmhand with only 99 games of big league ball to his credit, authored the winning moment when he turned on an inside fastball from right-hander Severino González with two outs, sending into the right field stands of Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. The home crowd was electric as they celebrated the first walk-off homer in WBC history.

The Puerto Rican team was quick to include Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor in the celebration, calling him over FaceTime on the field. Lindor was unable to captain the team after being denied insurance for the tournament, and having to undergo hamate bone surgery the first week of spring training.

Not to be outdone, Holmes struck out six over three innings of work against Great Britain. Following Tarik Skubal in a piggyback start, Holmes entered with the US down 1-0 in the fourth inning, protecting the score throughout and giving the US a chance to come back. He was credited with the win after a five-run bottom fifth gave the Americans a lead they would continue to build in an eventual 9-1 victory.



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