Brewers Survive Wild Ninth to Take World Series Game 1, 3-2; Game 2 Tonight in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers survived a ninth inning that nearly slipped away, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday night at American Family Field to take a 1-0 lead in the World Series. Milwaukee thought it had won the game twice. The second celebration was the one that counted.

How Game 1 was won

Milwaukee jumped on Rays starter Nick Martinez right away. Christian Yelich drove in a run with a triple in the first inning, and William Contreras followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. The Rays cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth, Milwaukee added a run in the seventh to go up 3-1, and then the ninth inning turned chaotic.

Closer Trevor Megill loaded the bases with one out, then appeared to induce a game ending double play. Tampa Bay challenged, and the review showed shortstop Cooper Pratt had come off the bag before throwing to first. Junior Caminero was safe at second, Jorge Mateo scored, and the lead was suddenly 3-2. Megill regrouped and struck out Jonny DeLuca to end it.

Misiorowski sets the tone

Jacob Misiorowski gave Milwaukee exactly the start it needed. He allowed one run on four hits and a walk over five innings, striking out three to earn the win. His first pitch of the World Series was clocked at 103.5 mph, and he threw 37 pitches at 100 mph or faster out of 78 total pitches.

What Game 2 looks like

Game 2 is Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, back at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Tampa Bay turns to Drew Rasmussen, who went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in the regular season and has a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA this postseason. Milwaukee counters with rookie Logan Henderson, who is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA this postseason. Early Saturday listings showed Milwaukee around a -120 to -127 favorite, Tampa Bay around +101 to +106, and the total at 6.5 runs. Lines move, so check the board before first pitch.

What It Means for Bettors

Do not overreact to one wild ninth inning, but do respect what Game 1 confirmed. Milwaukee scores early and its bullpen can close games even when things get messy, while Tampa Bay will fight to the last out. For Game 2, the value question is whether you trust the favorite at home or the underdog with its ace on the mound in a must win spot. The total of 6.5 reflects two strong pitching staffs. Compare prices before you bet.

Check the latest World Series odds at BetUS, Bovada, and BetOnline.

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