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CLEVELAND — Rubber-armed Wandy Peralta came to the rescue on Sunday night to keep the Yankees’ season alive for at least another day.

Pitching a third straight day for the first time this season, Peralta worked a perfect seven-pitch ninth inning to close out the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Guardians in Game 4 of the ALDS at Progressive Field.

The 31-year-old Peralta said he knew from the moment he woke up Sunday morning that he would be available to pitch for a third straight day. The lefty threw 15 pitches in Friday’s Game 2 and 27 more on Saturday, but felt good enough to provide yet another boost to the Yankees’ battered bullpen by securing the save after Clay Holmes pitched the eighth inning.

“Being available, it’s exciting,” Peralta said through an interpreter. “I feel happy that I put myself in that situation to be able to do that.

“And yeah, we’re gonna go win [Monday].”


  Yankees manager Aaron Boone shakes hands with reliever Wandy Peralta. Getty Images Yankees manager Aaron Boone shakes hands with reliever Wandy Peralta. Getty Images

Holmes, who was not available to pitch Saturday night when the Yankees bullpen blew a two-run ninth-inning lead, came back to toss a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday. But with a pair of lefties due up in the ninth inning in Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez, manager Aaron Boone called on Peralta to finish off the win.

Naylor, who had homered off Gerrit Cole earlier in the game, grounded out to second base on two pitches before Game 3 hero Oscar Gonzalez did the same on the first pitch he saw.

Peralta then got Gimenez to chase a low-and-inside sinker for a strikeout to end the game.

“He was great,” Boone said. “I mean, so efficient too. I was only going to go three hitters there with Wandy and didn’t really want to get [Jonathan Loaisiga] in the game. So for him to just come in, just execute right from jump street was huge.

“Was there any doubt? I mean, this morning and coming to the ballpark. But right away, he said he was good, wanted the ball, so I was going to go to him in a short spurt.”

Peralta spent the end of the regular season on the injured list with thoracic spine tightness, but has shown little signs of rust jumping right back into the thick of things in the ALDS. He has now pitched in all four games of the series, giving up two runs (both in Game 3) on two hits with six strikeouts over five innings.

And if they need him for a fourth straight day in Monday’s Game 5?

“Of course, if they need me, I’m going to be ready for it,” Peralta said.

Not that his attitude is a surprise to a fellow lefty with whom he shares a clubhouse.

“Incredible. Incredible,” Nestor Cortes said. “This is a guy that will take the ball no matter what. He said it [Saturday] that he would be available today without even knowing how he was going to feel today. A lot of credit to him. He’s been one of the guys all year.”

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