The Rays had a fast start and still walked off the field empty-handed.
Tampa Bay opened Monday night by jumping in front 4-0 in the top of the first inning, getting the kind of burst that usually puts a game on the rails. Liam Hicks delivered the big blow, launching the first home run of the World Series to give the Rays their early cushion.
But that lead didn’t hold. The Brewers clawed all the way back and finished off a 5-4 win at American Family Field.
That comeback left Milwaukee up 2-0 and chasing the first World Series championship in franchise history. The way they did it was brutal for Tampa Bay: after falling behind by four runs almost immediately, the Brewers chipped away and eventually ripped the game away.
The ending, though, is what will linger.
With the game hanging on its last pitch, Yandy Díaz checked his swing. The umpires were asked to appeal the call, and the ruling came back that Díaz had swung, ending the game. After seeing the replay, World Series and Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Joe Davis used the moment to push MLB toward a change.
“We got ABS for the first time this year, getting the balls and strikes right; we need to get a system that can get [check-swings] right,” Davis said.
The reaction made sense. If the call had gone the other way, Tampa Bay would have earned a walk and kept the game alive. Díaz was visibly frustrated because he believed he had not swung.
The controversy has already opened the door to a bigger conversation around replay, and Davis’ comments added fuel to it. MLB could now consider a check-swing review system for next season.
In Other News...
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 🡒]