David Peralta had been out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for two consecutive games but he delivered a walk-off, two-run single as their final hope to prevent them from losing to the Chicago Cubs and falling below .500 for the first time this season.
Peralta’s heroics came as a pinch-hitter for Miguel Rojas with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. First base was open and Austin Barnes was on deck, but the Cubs elected to pitch to Peralta rather than potentially face Will Smith.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed after the 2-1 victory that Smith again was unavailable and he will undergo testing to determine the root of his illness.
Peralta jumped on the first pitch he saw for a single into right field that was his fourth career walk-off hit.
“It feels good. I feel like I was due to do something to help the team,” Peralta said after the win. “It was a great game. The whole game I was ready for the opportunity.
“I was telling them, ‘Hey, I’ll be ready when you need me. I’m here. Whenever you need me, I’m going to be ready.’ That’s what I did. I got an opportunity to help the team and I did my job, so I’m really happy right now. Now we have to turn the page and come tomorrow, do the same thing.”
Although Peralta did not start in any of the first two games against the Cubs — and he’s again out of the lineup for the series finale — the veteran outfielder maintains an approach as if he were playing.
“It’s not like I’m doing nothing. I’m doing the same routine and during the game I’m watching and the game is going to tell me when it’s time for me to get ready for an opportunity to pinch-hit or something,” Peralta explained.
“It’s not just me. I think we all do that. … I’m here to help the team. Whatever they tell me to do, I’m going to do it. They told me I wasn’t playing and I’m like, ‘That’s fine. I’ll be ready.’
“If you’re not in the lineup, that doesn’t mean I won’t be in the game. I learned that from past experience, to be ready because you never know. Here you go, I got my opportunity to help the team, I did my job and I was ready.”
Although Peralta had been preparing himself for a potential opportunity, getting to that moment still required a mindfulness of not letting it become too big.
“I’m not going to lie, my emotion and adrenaline was getting really high,” Peralta said. “I just took a deep breath to try to slow everything down. I was trying to clear my head and not think took much about anything. Just be ready to hit.”
David Peralta career as pinch-hitter
The 35-year-old has hit .322/.378/.425 with three triples, one home run, 19 RBI and eight walks in 98 career plate appearances as a pinch-hitter. However, it’s not a role he wants to become too familiar with.
“An old friend told, ‘Hey, don’t get used to that, because that means you’re going to be on the bench,'” Peralta joked of his success.
“But you have to just prepare. Like I said, prepare to get ready for this opportunity. I was just trying to calm everything down, just slow down the game, take a deep breath so I could get a good pitch to hit.
“It’s a moment you dream of as a kid, to hit a walk-off and get to celebrate with your teammates. That moment came to me, and I was really happy I did something for the team.”
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