The Milwaukee Brewers got exactly the kind of start they were after in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series, and William Contreras was right in the middle of it.
Milwaukee edged the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday night, winning a World Series game for the first time in 44 years and jumping out to a 1-0 series lead. Contreras finished with two hits and drove in a run, with his RBI coming in the first inning and proving especially important in a tight, low-scoring game.
Afterward, Brewers manager Pat Murphy made sure to spotlight what Contreras meant to the win. “If anyone doesn't notice the contributions of Contreras, he was the player of the game. He was unbelievable,” Murphy said, via local radio host Vincent Hesprich.
The Brewers did their early damage right away, scoring twice in the opening inning to build a 2-1 lead. Tampa Bay answered in the fourth when Liam Hicks drove in a run to trim the margin.
Milwaukee then got some breathing room back in the seventh on a Jackson Chourio single that pushed the lead to two runs again. The Rays made one last push in the ninth and got within a run, but the Brewers held on at home.
Game 1 only gets the series started, though. The Brewers want to keep rolling and take a 2-0 advantage before the matchup shifts to Tampa Bay. The teams are back at it Saturday night for Game 2 at Miller Park in Milwaukee.
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What makes Ashby so valuable is not just that he has been available, but that the Brewers have trusted him in spots where games can turn quickly. Murphy has leaned on him to cover more than just a clean inning here and there, and Ashby has answered by giving Milwaukee length, poise and run prevention in the middle of the chaos that defines October. If the Brewers are going to keep pushing deeper into the series, his role figures to remain central. [Read more 🡒]