ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Depending on how you look at it, the randomness of baseball can be hilarious or heartbreaking.

For instance, the direction of a ball hit off a catwalk can be the difference between a home run and an out — a seemingly rare occurrence that has somehow occurred twice in the divisional round of the postseason. Try explaining that one to Babe Ruth.

An efficient outing from right-hander Freddy Peralta might have also seemed like a rare occurrence earlier this season because, well, it was. But the way Peralta pitched Monday night in the Tampa Bay Rays’ Game 2 ALDS win over the Yankees wasn’t out of the ordinary. This was who Peralta was before the Milwaukee Brewers traded him to the Mets, and this is who he has been since the Mets traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays for a package of three prospects at the deadline in August.

“I was born to be a winner, like I’ve said before,” Peralta told the Daily News following the 5-2 win at Tropicana Field. “I don’t care what happens. I know I’ve got to take a punch sometimes, and I’ve just got to work to stand back up.”

Peralta was knocked down in New York, but he’s now standing tall in Tampa. Since leaving the Mets, he’s adjusted his arm slot, added a slide step and added a few velos to his fastball. He faced the minimum over the first three innings before Ben Rice took him deep to lead off the fourth. With a rested bullpen and the game tied 1-1, the Rays played it conservatively by removing him before facing the top of the order a third time.

Peralta held the Yankees to only one earned run on three hits, walking one and striking out three over 4 2/3 innings. He had only thrown 66 pitches, and his velocity was still up around 97 MPH, but his command was beginning to waver.

“It was a tough decision. I felt like the changeup started just to work off the edge enough where he wasn’t able to get it in the zone,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “But early on, I mean, it was a dominant fastball, dominant changeup. It’s tough to nitpick anybody that goes through that lineup and gives up a solo homer.”

Peralta protested when Cash came out to relieve him. He wanted to at least finish out the fifth, and felt he could get out of the jam. But thanks Drew Rasmussen’s eight-inning, one-run performance in Game 1 gave Tampa Bay the luxury of bringing in a left-hander to play the matchups with left-handed hitters at the top of the order.

He set the tone for Tampa, going as far as he needed to give the Rays a chance at a 2-0 series lead. Plus, the Yankees were already imploding with utterly inept defense.

“I always want to keep the ball,” Peralta said. “I just wanted to be my best from the first pitch to whenever Cash comes to take me out of the game.”

For once, Peralta was on the other side of a defenseless slopfest. After all, the Mets committed six errors in a game back in June—a game that ultimately led to the demise of manager Carlos Mendoza and cemented Peralta’s status as a trade candidate.

It was becoming tedious to watch Peralta’s outings while in a Mets uniform, with the way he nibbled around the corners and got beat. Often, Peralta needed 20-30 pitches to make it through the first inning. Naturally, it affected his confidence.

“I’m not gonna lie, yes, it did,” he said. “I knew that I was able to come back because I was in situations like this before.”

Seeing 4 2/3 innings in the box score probably had fans around Flushing nodding, thinking they had already seen this episode. This one might have a different ending, however.

The very same Mets fans who celebrated his arrival couldn’t wait to send him packing. It undoubtedly hurts to see him succeed for another team, but if Peralta helps that team eliminate the Yankees from the postseason, there will undoubtedly be some consolation.

The Mets will have to contend with the blemish of breaking a frontline starter if Peralta gets his redemption arc, especially if Peralta continues to pitch the Rays deeper into October. He finished the season with an ERA under 1.00 over his final six starts, and his stuff played even better against the Yankees. A sellout crowd of 40,226 gave him extra adrenaline. Peralta isn’t sure whether the extra velocity came from the crowd, but it definitely didn’t hurt.

It’s been a crowd of mostly Rays fans in the series, a departure from what it’s usually like when the Yankees are in town.

He’s now gone four or more innings while limiting the opposition to three or fewer runs in his last five postseason starts, going back to the infamous NL Wild Card Series against the Mets in 2024. It’s the longest active streak in baseball. Between his past and his present, this turnaround doesn’t feel random — it’s real.

“My confidence is as high as it can get,” he said. “A 10 out of 10.”