Final Score: Brewers 5 Rays 4
Why The Brewers Won: After giving up 4 runs and 3 hits the Brewers pitching staff shut down the Rays the rest of the way. Over the final 8 innings they gave up 4 hits and 2 walks striking out 10 batters. The Brewers chipped away at the lead coming right back in the bottom of the first scoring 2 runs and adding single runs in the 4th, 6th, and 7th. Once the game was tied this game boiled down to the Brewers getting their leadoff double around to score in the bottom of the 7th and the Rays not getting their leadoff double around to score in the top of the 9th. The Brewers were able to get the Rays ace Drew Rasmussen out of the game in 3 and 2/3 innings. They touched him up for 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks making him throw 89 pitches. The Rays just have not been very Rays like in these first two games. The number one contact team in the league has struck out 19 times in the first two game of the series. Their no. 1 defense has had some lapses and physical errors. How much the Brewers have to do with this or the pressure of the World Series who knows. Regardless the Rays find themselves in a 2-0 hole heading home.
Key Moments Of The Game: When the Rays scored 4 runs in the top of the 1st and with Rasmussen coming out to pitch one had to think that the Rays chances looked pretty good to even the series. That all evaporated pretty quickly when the Brewers immediately jumped all over the Rays ace. They had runners on 1st and 3rd after two singles on only 5 pitches. Rasmussen struck out Yelich. William Contreras took a 3-2 sinker that was up and singled to centerfield to drive in the first run. Brice Turang hit a cutter 108 MPH but right at the 2nd baseman for the second out. Garrett Mitchell took a 3-2 changeup and lined into right field to make the score 4-2. There was nothing cheap about any of the Brewers hits. Cooper Pratt struck out on 3 pitches to end the inning. Rasmussen had thrown 29 pitches to get through the 1st inning. He really never could right the ship and with 2 out in the bottom of the 4th he was gone, something the Rays could not afford. Their bullpen gave up 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. Over the last 4 and 1/3 innings they never retired the side in order. They never retired more than 2 batters in a row. It was shame to see the game end on a check swing with the tying run on 3rd base. No doubt it was a huge call. On to Tampa.
Next Game: Monday night, in Tampa. It is a must win situation for the Rays. Maybe they can get back to playing Rays baseball once they get home. Maybe this World Series will become the Series for the home team. If it doesn’t the Brewers may go ahead and do the sweep. Both games have been close, and I would expect nothing less the rest of the way. The difference so far has been the Brewers bullpen and how the Rays have struck out so much. Freddy Peralta will go for the Rays, and he has been very effective in the post season. He needs to be that and give them some length like about 7 innings. Can the Rays get back in the series stay tuned.
