Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Mets 6-2 at Tropicana Field, using a three-run sixth inning to take control of a game that was tied after the opening frame. Freddy Peralta delivered six innings with seven strikeouts, limiting New York's lineup while keeping the Rays' bullpen from carrying the full workload. The Mets briefly cut the deficit to three in the seventh, but Tampa Bay answered with an eighth-inning run and never surrendered the advantage.

Peralta was the game's controlling arm, generating seven strikeouts across six innings and consistently winning the matchup with swing-and-miss stuff. Sean Manaea absorbed 5.2 innings for New York but allowed five earned runs, leaving the Mets too far behind despite Francisco Lindor's one-for-three performance with a two-run home run. New York produced its other run in the seventh, but the lineup could not sustain pressure against Peralta or convert the late opportunity into a comeback.

The victory moved Tampa Bay to 83-55 and reinforced the difference between the clubs in this matchup: the Rays paired reliable starting pitching with depth throughout the order, while the Mets fell to 62-77 after failing to build on Lindor's home run. Tampa Bay now carries the sharper competitive profile, with Peralta's six-inning performance and contributions from multiple hitters giving the club a repeatable formula for the games ahead.