The Milwaukee Brewers had to survive a finish that seemed to end twice before it finally stuck.
Friday’s World Series opener at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wis., opened with the Brewers jumping ahead 2-0 in the first inning and carrying a 3-1 lead into the ninth. But the last inning nearly turned chaotic when closer Trevor Megill found himself in a jam, with the Tampa Bay Rays loading the bases and only one out away from ending Milwaukee’s night.
Megill got what looked like the cleanest possible escape: a double play ball to right field that appeared to seal a Game 1 victory and set off a full-on celebration from the crowd and the Brewers’ dugout. Then the Rays asked for another look, and the call changed after it was determined that Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt had already lifted his foot off second base as he made the throw to first.
Replays showed Pratt’s foot hovering over the bag at the exact moment the ball hit his glove, wiping out the apparent game-ender and giving Tampa Bay new life in a 3-2 game with runners still in scoring position.
That put Jonny DeLuca in the spotlight with a chance to spoil the moment for Milwaukee, but Megill answered with the pitch that finished it for real. He stayed composed after briefly acting like the save was already in the books, then buried DeLuca with a nasty curveball for the strikeout that finally closed out Game 1.
GAME ONE BELONGS TO MILWAUKEE #WinOurWay https://t.co/QzbNECRNFP
- Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 24, 2026
The end result was a win for Milwaukee, but only after a sequence that made the Brewers work for every last out.
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Rays Let World Series Opener Slip After Ninth-Inning Rally
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A ninth-inning rally gave the Rays one last opening to flip the script, helped along by a replay review that kept the inning alive and put real pressure on Milwaukees bullpen. With the tying run on third and the crowd sensing a break in the action, Tampa Bay still could not cash in, leaving the club to sort through a painful finish and a series opener that slipped away despite multiple chances to change the outcome. [Read more 🡒]