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10/24 00:22 CDT Brewers withstand Rays' comeback attempt to win 3-2 in Game 1
of World Series
Brewers withstand Rays' comeback attempt to win 3-2 in Game 1 of World Series
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) --- Trevor Megill was shouting in celebration and the Milwaukee
Brewers were bolting out of the dugout to congratulate one another, believing
they had just escaped a ninth-inning jam to win Game 1 of the World Series.
Not quite yet.
What initially was ruled a game-ending double play got overturned after a video
review showed Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt's right foot was slightly off the
bag when he reached to catch a high throw from second baseman Brice Turang.
No problem.
Megill regrouped and struck out Jonny DeLuca with two runners in scoring
position as Milwaukee edged the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday night.
"It's good to get the first win out of the way," Megill said. "That's where all
the nerves are at. First game, a lot of anticipation and build-up to where we
are right now."
The ninth inning was particularly nerve-racking for the Brewers and the sellout
crowd attending Milwaukee's first World Series game since 1982.
"You have a big range of emotions," said team captain Christian Yelich, whose
RBI triple in the first put the Brewers ahead for good. "It's a big credit to
Trev for locking back in right there and making some huge pitches after you
have that emotional dump and then have to get back on it."
Tampa Bay trailed 3-1 and hadn't put a runner on since the sixth until it
mounted its comeback attempt against Megill.
Jonathan Aranda, who went 3 for 3 with a walk, and Chandler Simpson hit
consecutive one-out singles. A double steal involving pinch-runner Jorge Mateo
and Simpson put runners on second and third before Junior Caminero walked on a
3-2 pitch in the dirt to load the bases.
Liam Hicks hit a grounder to the right side, and Turang ranged well to his left
to field the ball before throwing to Pratt to start what initially was called a
4-6-3 double play.
Fireworks went off, players poured onto the field and Milwaukee fans roared ---
before the crowd hushed as it watched the play again on the videoboard.
"You've got to think worst-case scenario there," Megill said. "I thought the
challenge was at first base, maybe a bobble or something. But it was pretty
clear once the replay went up that it was on the play at second base. Zoomed in
and it didn't look good. It's all right. We picked up Cooper there. He'll pick
us up tomorrow."
The call was overturned by umpire Alfonso Mrquez at the MLB Replay Center,
which caught Pratt by surprise.
"Obviously, it was close," the 22-year-old rookie said. "I just didn't think it
was enough to overturn, so I wasn't thinking anything of it. The video I saw,
thought my cleat was dragging. ... There must have been some other angles that
I haven't seen. It ultimately didn't matter because we won."
The Brewers won because Megill got DeLuca to swing and miss at a 2-2 pitch,
capping a night in which Tampa Bay went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring
position.
"This is an extremely confident group," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "You know
that. We know that. They're going to be fine. I think the frustration comes
from we were one swing of the bat away right at the end of potentially taking
the lead."
The Game 1 winner has gone on to win the World Series 62.8% of the time.
This marks the first World Series featuring two teams seeking their first
championship since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City
Royals in six games. The only other major league clubs without a World Series
title are the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Nick Martinez. NL Cy
Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run and four hits over five
innings to help the Brewers stay in front before relievers Abner Uribe and
Aaron Ashby shut down the Rays through the eighth.
Misiorowski, who had a season-low three strikeouts, opened the game with a
103.5 mph fastball --- the fastest pitch ever thrown in a World Series.
"The adrenaline kind of took over, and I tensed up and threw it hard,"
Misiorowski said. "Then I settled down, and that was the game plan, to settle
in and do me. Don't try and overdo it."
Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had two hits, including
an RBI single. Contreras also threw out two runners trying to steal.
Tampa Bay managed to hang around thanks in part to Martinez, who gave up those
two runs in the first but held Milwaukee scoreless thorugh the rest of his
five-inning stint. The Brewers added an insurance run in the seventh when
Chourio singled home Pratt.
Then came all the action in the ninth, with the Brewers' premature celebration
followed by a team-wide sigh of relief as Pratt offered some parting words to
Megill.
"I just said, ?Thank you, man. Thanks for picking me up,'" Pratt said. "That's
what this game is. It's a game of pick-me-up. He picked me up today."
Up next Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay and Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47) starts for Milwaukee in Game 2 on Saturday night. In this postseason, Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and Henderson is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA. ___ See AP's full MLB coverage here
Up next Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay and Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47) starts for Milwaukee in Game 2 on Saturday night. In this postseason, Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and Henderson is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA. ___ See AP's full MLB coverage here
