The World Series moves to Florida with the Milwaukee Brewers up 2-0, and Game 3 brings the matchup I have been waiting for since the series was set. Freddy Peralta, who spent his first eight big league seasons in Milwaukee, takes the mound for the Rays against the team that traded him. Tampa Bay needs this one badly. Teams that fall behind 3-0 in the World Series almost never come back.
Game 3 at a Glance
| Matchup | Milwaukee Brewers at Tampa Bay Rays |
| Series | Brewers lead 2-0 |
| When | Monday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. Central) |
| Where | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg |
| TV | FOX |
| Pitching | Robert Gasser (MIL) vs. Freddy Peralta (TB) |
| Line | Rays slight home favorites, total 6.5 |
Where We Left Off
I covered Game 2 here. The Rays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, and then the Brewers did not let them score again. Sal Frelick tied it with a home run in the sixth, Cooper Pratt drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh, and Milwaukee won 5-4. Both games in Milwaukee were decided by one run.
The Pitching Matchup
Peralta has been outstanding this October. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 12 strikeouts in the postseason, and he was the ALCS MVP. His regular season was rougher, at 10-11 with a 4.42 ERA, but he has been a different pitcher in the playoffs. He knows this Brewers lineup better than anyone on the Rays’ staff, and they know him too.
Robert Gasser goes for Milwaukee. The left-hander has a 1.00 ERA in the postseason, and his last start was five scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS. Milwaukee does not need him to go deep. With this bullpen, five good innings is plenty.
Three Things to Watch
1. Peralta against his old team. This is the storyline of the series. If Peralta pitches like he has all October, the Rays are right back in it.
2. The Rays’ early offense. Tampa Bay scored four runs in the first inning of Game 2 and then went quiet. The Rays need to keep adding on, because getting to the Brewers’ bullpen with a lead has not been enough.
3. Milwaukee’s bullpen workload. The Brewers’ relievers have carried them through two games. Games 3, 4 and 5 are on three straight days, so how deep Gasser goes on Monday will matter for the rest of the week.
The Rest of the Series
| 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
My Pick
I picked Brewers in six before the series started, and that means I think the Rays win at least one in St. Petersburg. Game 3 is the one I would circle. Peralta has been their best pitcher, the home crowd will be loud, and I said back in my series preview that if Peralta beats his old team, I reserve the right to change my mind. Rays 4, Brewers 2.
If I am wrong and Milwaukee goes up 3-0, the champagne could be on ice by Tuesday night. I am ready for Game 3.
Featured photo: Tropicana Field after the Rays clinched the 2026 ALCS by Trevorrrrvalent, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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