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Game 2 of the ALCS wasn’t quite a must-win yet for the Tampa Bay Rays. But going down 2-0 with the series shifting to the road would have made their life that much more difficult. Nonetheless, that is not a problem that the Rays will have to navigate. After all, thanks to a huge performance from Freddy Peralta, which was matched by batterymate Liam Hicks at the plate after he recorded the game’s biggest hit — a two-run single in a 3-1 victory — the Rays have now evened up the series against the Cleveland Guardians.
This win was certainly made out of the Rays’ trade deadline dealings. Not only did they buy low on Peralta amid the New York Mets’ fire sale, they also acquired Hicks from the Miami Marlins amid the 27-year-old’s breakout campaign in his second full season in the big leagues.
Hicks could not believe his fortune. After all, he went from a team that finished the season with an 80-82 record to a Rays team that has a legitimate shot at winning a World Series title.
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“Super grateful. Loved being in Miami, so yeah nothing but good things to say about them there. But being able to play in the playoffs is obviously something pretty special, and being able to do it with a club like this. They’ve made me feel like I’ve been a part of this team for so much longer than it has been. It’s such a special group and so fun to be a part of them,” Hicks said in his postgame presser, via Ryan Bass of MLB TV.
“It’s such a special group.”
Liam Hicks on his gratitude for joining the #Rays at the deadline and contributing to a pennant chase. pic.twitter.com/rmzLLJWDsy
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 14, 2026
Hicks entered Game 2 of the ALCS with just one hit in 14 plate appearances in this year’s postseason, so his heroics against the Guardians must have come as a mild surprise.
Nonetheless, Hicks put up 18 home runs and 82 runs batted in in the regular season on an OPS of .801, making him one of the best two-way catchers in the game. The Rays will certainly need him to play more like he did in Game 2 if they were to find a breakthrough in this year’s postseason.
Related: Why Rays have all the momentum heading into Game 3 of ALCS vs. Guardians
Related: Rays ace Freddy Peralta hits a major career first in ALCS Game 2 start vs. Guardians