Game 2 of the 2026 World Series sets up as a clean little chess match on the mound. After Milwaukee’s 3-2 win in the opener, the Brewers turn to rookie right-hander Logan Henderson with a chance to push the Rays to the brink early, while Tampa Bay counters with ace Drew Rasmussen at 7 p.m. CT on Fox.
Henderson has already been in this exact spot twice in October. He started Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Padres and then did it again in the NL Championship Series against the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers.
The results were mixed. He handled San Diego better, giving up two runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks while striking out four over five-plus innings.
Against Los Angeles, he lasted into the fifth but was tagged for four runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. That outing also got messy in the field, with Henderson committing two throwing errors, including one on a pickoff try that opened the door for a run and another on a bunt that led to another.
Even with that uneven postseason stretch, Henderson’s rookie year has been strong. He posted a 3.32 FIP and 2.47 ERA over 18 starts and 98⅓ innings, with a 5.1% walk rate and a 29.6% strikeout rate.
He has not faced the Rays before, though he has matched up with two current Tampa Bay hitters: catcher Liam Hicks and backup center fielder Cedric Mullins. Hicks saw him on July 17 at American Family Field, when he went 0-for-2 with a strikeout while still with the Marlins.
Mullins also went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his meeting with Henderson last year as a member of the Orioles.
Tampa Bay’s offense had its own bright spots in Game 1. Jonathan Aranda went 3-for-3 and looked comfortable against Jacob Misiorowski’s high heat, and he enters Game 2 hitting .316/.395/.395 this postseason.
Chandler Simpson added two hits and helped apply pressure in the ninth inning with a double steal against Brewers closer Trevor Megill. Simpson appeared to tweak a knee or hamstring during that plate appearance, but stayed in the game and stole a base, so there was no sign of anything that should alter his availability.
The Rays are also giving the ball to a familiar name for Milwaukee fans. Rasmussen, who was originally a Brewers prospect before the 2021 trade that sent him to Tampa Bay in exchange for Willy Adames, gets the Game 2 assignment after not starting Game 1.
He has battled through three elbow surgeries in his career, including two Tommy John operations before the trade while at Oregon State and an internal brace procedure during the 2023 season. He returned late in 2024, then put together an All-Star season in both 2025 and 2026.
This year was the best of the bunch. Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.82 FIP and 2.67 ERA, while walking just 4.8% of hitters and striking out 26%.
He has seen Milwaukee twice in his career, including an April 1 start at American Family Field in which he worked five innings, allowed two runs, one earned, struck out eight and gave up three hits and a walk. Brice Turang homered off him in that game.
A few Brewers have had some success against Rasmussen, too. Jake Bauers has faced him the most, going 3-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts. William Contreras is the only other Brewers World Series roster player with multiple hits against Rasmussen, doing so in six plate appearances that include a solo homer and a walk.
Milwaukee’s approach in Game 1 was part of the story, too. The Brewers drew four walks against a Rays team that doesn’t hand out many free passes, and Contreras and Jackson Chourio each picked up hits in the opener.
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Jacob Misiorowski Just Gave Brewers Fans A New Reason To Believe
Jacob Misiorowski has already given Milwaukee plenty of reasons to dream, and his latest spotlight moment only sharpened the anticipation. The hard-throwing starter came into Game 1 after a season in which he posted a 1.80 ERA over 30 starts and routinely lit up radar guns, averaging 100.6 mph on his four-seam fastball.
The performance against Tampa Bay took that power to another level, even by postseason standards. Misiorowskis velocity put him in a class all his own on baseballs biggest stage, and it only added to the sense that the Brewers may have something special in their rotation as the pressure rises. The only real question now is how far that arm can carry them when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Ace Just Gave The World Series A Historic Start
Jacob Misiorowski wasted no time making his presence felt on the biggest stage, opening the World Series with the kind of velocity that has become his calling card for Milwaukee. The Brewers ace has turned into one of the most electric arms in baseball this season, pairing a 1.80 ERA with 252 strikeouts and taking the ball in Game 1 of the NLDS, NLCS and World Series along the way.
The moment was historic even by his standards, though it also fit the larger pattern of what he has been doing since the regular season. Misiorowski had already grabbed attention earlier this year when he topped the league's starter velocity mark, and now the Brewers are watching that same raw power play out on the sport's biggest October stage. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphy Got An Unexpected Call Brewers Fans Will Love
Pat Murphy has spent enough time around baseball to keep his focus on the next game, but this one landed differently. The Brewers coach has long been a Bruce Springsteen fan, and after Milwaukee clinched its NLCS victory, he got an unexpected FaceTime call from the man whose music has been part of his life for years. For Murphy, it was the kind of personal moment that goes beyond a clubhouse celebration and into something a little more memorable.
Springsteen had been watching the Brewers and wanted to connect with Murphy, which made the exchange even more meaningful. Murphy described the conversation as easy, and he spoke about the impact Springsteens music has had on him and his teams over the years. It was a reminder that the Brewers postseason run has started to reach beyond the field, in ways that can surprise even the people closest to it. [Read more 🡒]