World Series Game 2: The Brewers Climb Out of an Early Hole and Head to Florida Up 2-0

For one inning, it looked like the Rays were about to steal home field. Then Milwaukee did what it has done all October. The Brewers fell behind 4-0 before they ever came to the plate, chipped away for the rest of the night and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2 at American Family Field. Milwaukee now leads the World Series 2-0, and the Brewers are two wins away from the first championship in franchise history.

A Wild First Inning

The game could not have started worse for Milwaukee. Yandy Díaz led off with a ground ball that Cooper Pratt threw away, and the Rays made the Brewers pay. Chandler Simpson singled up the middle to drive in a run, Junior Caminero followed with an RBI hit down the left-field line after a nine-pitch at-bat, and Liam Hicks crushed a two-run homer to right-center. It was a 411-foot shot and the first home run of the series. Four runs, and Brewers starter Logan Henderson had faced only five hitters.

To Milwaukee’s credit, the Brewers answered right away. William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell each drove in a run in the bottom of the first, and just like that it was 4-2.

Chipping Away

Drew Rasmussen, the pitcher I expected to see in Game 1, finally got the ball for Tampa Bay. He did not have his usual command, and the Brewers made him work. Rasmussen threw 89 pitches and lasted only 3⅔ innings. David Hamilton drove in Pratt in the fourth to make it 4-3, and Sal Frelick tied it with a home run in the sixth.

Then came the seventh. Brice Turang doubled, and Pratt, the same player whose error started the Rays’ big first inning, drove in the go-ahead run to make it 5-4. That is a pretty good way to make up for a mistake.

The Bullpen Does It Again

After Henderson’s rough first inning, Milwaukee did not give up another run. Henderson settled in to finish three innings, and then the bullpen took over: JoJo Romero, Dustin May, DL Hall and Abner Uribe each put up zeros. Aaron Ashby got the final five outs and struck out three. The Rays put the tying run on second with one out in the ninth when Jonny DeLuca doubled, but Ashby shut the door from there.

Contreras had two more hits and has now driven in a run in both games of this series. Frelick finished with two hits, including the home run.

My Pick Is Looking Better

I picked Brewers in six and said the bullpen would decide the series. Through two games, Milwaukee’s relievers have been as good as advertised. After the first inning on Saturday, the Rays did not score again.

What’s Next

Game	Date	Location	Result / Time (ET)
Game 1	Fri., Oct. 23	Milwaukee	Brewers 3, Rays 2
Game 2	Sat., Oct. 24	Milwaukee	Brewers 5, Rays 4
Game 3	Mon., Oct. 26	St. Petersburg	8 p.m., FOX
Game 4	Tue., Oct. 27	St. Petersburg	8 p.m., FOX
Game 5*	Wed., Oct. 28	St. Petersburg	8 p.m., FOX
Game 6*	Fri., Oct. 30	Milwaukee	8 p.m., FOX
Game 7*	Sat., Oct. 31	Milwaukee	8 p.m., FOX

*If necessary

The series now moves to St. Petersburg for three straight games. The Rays will have their home crowd behind them, and they came back from 2-1 down against Cleveland in the ALCS. They are not out of this. But Milwaukee has won two close games without its best stuff, and that is what championship teams do.

I covered Game 1 here if you missed it. I am ready for Game 3.

Featured photo: Inside American Family Field, Milwaukee by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.