The Tampa Bay Rays had World Series Game 1 in their grasp, multiple times even, but just couldn’t seal the deal. They dropped the opener 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, a gut-punch loss that saw the tying run stranded on third base when Jonny DeLuca struck out in the ninth inning against Trevor Megill. Talk about a brutal way to start the biggest series of the year.
Early Blunders Gifted Milwaukee a Lead
The Rays almost blew it three batters into the game. Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson singled, but then Junior Caminero lined one right at third baseman David Hamilton, who made the easy double play to nail Aranda off second. That’s a rally killed before it even really got going.
But the real gut punch came in the bottom half. Jackson Chourio singled off Nick Martinez, and then Christian Yelich hammered one to deep center. It bounced out of DeLuca’s glove, turning what should have been a long out into an RBI triple. Seriously, a long out becoming an RBI triple in Game 1 of the World Series? That’s just cruel. William Contreras followed with a single that caromed off shortstop Taylor Walls, and just like that, Milwaukee was up 2-0 before the Rays could even blink. What an absolute nightmare start!
Martinez Settles, But Baserunning Bites Back
To his credit, Martinez eventually settled down. He punched out Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell to end the first, then stranded Sal Frelick at third in the second, even retiring eight straight at one point. His final line was pretty solid after that rocky start: five innings, two runs, five hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Not bad considering the early chaos.
The Rays finally started to chip away in the fourth against Jacob Misiorowski, who was dealing triple-digit heat, topping out at 103.5 mph. Aranda walked, Caminero scorched a double to center, and Liam Hicks grounded out to bring Aranda home, making it 2-1. But then DeLuca flew out, leaving Caminero stranded at third. You just can’t leave guys out there in a World Series game.
Then the baserunning mistakes started. Victor Mesa Jr. singled in the fifth and moved to second. With two outs, he tried to steal third and was THROWN OUT by Contreras. Are you kidding me? Trying to steal third with two outs in the World Series? That just kills a rally stone dead. Mesa got a bit of payback in the bottom half, though, starting a relay that nailed Hamilton at third after a double. So at least there’s that.
Heartbreak in the Ninth, Brewers Up 1-0
Despite all the self-inflicted wounds and near misses, the Rays clawed their way into a ninth-inning rally. A replay review even kept their hopes alive. But with the tying run staring down third base, it all came crashing down. Jonny DeLuca stepped to the plate, and Trevor Megill got him swinging. Game over. Heartbreak for the Rays.
The Brewers now lead the series 1-0. If Game 1 is any indication of what’s to come, buckle up, because this World Series is going to be a wild ride. The Rays have got to clean up those mistakes if they want to get back in this thing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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