World Series Game 3: Gasser vs Peralta as Brewers Chase 3-0 Lead in Tampa Bay

The Milwaukee Brewers take a 2-0 World Series lead to Tampa Bay, and Monday night is the Tampa Bay Rays last good chance to turn this into a series. Game 3 is set for Monday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, airing on FOX. Milwaukee needs two more wins for the first World Series title.

A Rematch With History

The pitching matchup carries a storyline of its own. Tampa Bay starts right hander Freddy Peralta, the American League Championship Series MVP, against his former team. Peralta began this season with the New York Mets before an August 2 trade sent him to Tampa Bay. Since joining the Rays he has gone 7-0 with a 0.89 ERA over his last 10 games.

Milwaukee counters with left hander Robert Gasser. The rookie started the deciding Game 4 of the National League Division Series against San Diego, working four innings of one run ball, and he has allowed just one run in nine postseason innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.51 ERA in eight appearances since August 26.

Two Games, Two Runs

Do not let the 2-0 series score fool you. Milwaukee won Game 1 by 3-2 and Game 2 by 5-4 after rallying from 4-0 down, so the two games were decided by a combined two runs. Tampa Bay has been in both games late, and the Rays overcame a 2-1 deficit in the American League Championship Series by winning three straight, so a comeback here is not fanciful.

Still, history is firmly on Milwaukee side. Teams that have led a World Series 2-0 have gone on to win 46 of 57 times, about 81 percent. A Brewers win Monday would put Tampa Bay in a 3-0 hole that no team has ever escaped in the World Series.

What To Watch Monday Night

Watch the early innings. Peralta must avoid a repeat of his rough July start against Milwaukee, when he gave up seven earned runs in 5.1 innings while with the Mets. Milwaukee relievers have posted a 1.24 ERA through 10 postseason games.

What It Means for Bettors

Listings make Tampa Bay a slight home favorite for Game 3, which reflects Peralta recent form and the Rays home edge more than the series score. That makes this a classic spot to think in terms of series price versus single game price: backing Milwaukee in a single game is a different bet than laying a price on the series, where the Brewers already hold a commanding lead. If you like Tampa Bay, the case rests on Peralta extending his dominant run. If you like Milwaukee, the case rests on a rested bullpen and a team that keeps winning close games. Compare prices before first pitch at BetUS, Bovada, and BetOnline, and shop for the best number rather than taking the first price you see.

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