Brewers withstand Rays' comeback attempt to win 3-2 in Game 1 of World Series
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Trevor Megill was shouting in celebration and the Milwaukee Brewers were bolting out of the dugout to congratulate one another, believing they had just escaped a ninth-inning jam to win Game 1 of the World Series.
Not quite yet.
What initially was ruled a game-ending double play got overturned after a video review showed Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt’s right foot was slightly off the bag when he reached to catch a high throw from second baseman Brice Turang.
No problem.
Megill regrouped and struck out Jonny DeLuca with two runners in scoring position as Milwaukee edged the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday night.
“It's good to get the first win out of the way,” Megill said. “That's where all the nerves are at. First game, a lot of anticipation and build-up to where we are right now."
The ninth inning was particularly nerve-racking for the Brewers and the sellout crowd attending Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982.
“You have a big range of emotions,” said team captain Christian Yelich, whose RBI triple in the first put the Brewers ahead for good. “It’s a big credit to Trev for locking back in right there and making some huge pitches after you have that emotional dump and then have to get back on it.”
Tampa Bay trailed 3-1 and hadn’t put a runner on since the sixth until it mounted its comeback attempt against Megill.
Jonathan Aranda, who went 3 for 3 with a walk, and Chandler Simpson hit consecutive one-out singles. A double steal involving pinch-runner Jorge Mateo and Simpson put runners on second and third before Junior Caminero walked on a 3-2 pitch in the dirt to load the bases.
Liam Hicks hit a grounder to the right side, and Turang ranged well to his left to field the ball before throwing to Pratt to start what initially was called a 4-6-3 double play.
Fireworks went off, players poured onto the field and Milwaukee fans roared — before the crowd hushed as it watched the play again on the videoboard.
“You've got to think worst-case scenario there,” Megill said. “I thought the challenge was at first base, maybe a bobble or something. But it was pretty clear once the replay went up that it was on the play at second base. Zoomed in and it didn't look good. It's all right. We picked up Cooper there. He'll pick us up tomorrow.”
The call was overturned by umpire Alfonso Márquez at the MLB Replay Center, which caught Pratt by surprise.
“Obviously, it was close,” the 22-year-old rookie said. “I just didn't think it was enough to overturn, so I wasn't thinking anything of it. The video I saw, thought my cleat was dragging. ... There must have been some other angles that I haven't seen. It ultimately didn't matter because we won.”
The Brewers won because Megill got DeLuca to swing and miss at a 2-2 pitch, capping a night in which Tampa Bay went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
“This is an extremely confident group,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “You know that. We know that. They’re going to be fine. I think the frustration comes from we were one swing of the bat away right at the end of potentially taking the lead.”
The Game 1 winner has gone on to win the World Series 62.8% of the time.
This marks the first World Series featuring two teams seeking their first championship since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals in six games. The only other major league clubs without a World Series title are the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Nick Martinez. NL Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run and four hits over five innings to help the Brewers stay in front before relievers Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby shut down the Rays through the eighth.
Misiorowski, who had a season-low three strikeouts, opened the game with a 103.5 mph fastball — the fastest pitch ever thrown in a World Series.
“The adrenaline kind of took over, and I tensed up and threw it hard,” Misiorowski said. “Then I settled down, and that was the game plan, to settle in and do me. Don’t try and overdo it.”
Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had two hits, including an RBI single. Contreras also threw out two runners trying to steal.
Tampa Bay managed to hang around thanks in part to Martinez, who gave up those two runs in the first but held Milwaukee scoreless thorugh the rest of his five-inning stint. The Brewers added an insurance run in the seventh when Chourio singled home Pratt.
Then came all the action in the ninth, with the Brewers' premature celebration followed by a team-wide sigh of relief as Pratt offered some parting words to Megill.
“I just said, ‘Thank you, man. Thanks for picking me up,’” Pratt said. “That’s what this game is. It's a game of pick-me-up. He picked me up today.”
Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay and Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47) starts for Milwaukee in Game 2 on Saturday night. In this postseason, Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and Henderson is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA.
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