Brewers lock down late to beat Rays 3-2 in World Series Game 1

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s bullpen carried the day when World Series Game 1 finally tightened in the ninth inning, and the Brewers held on for a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. The game did not stay calm for long: after a call that had the potential to end the contest was overturned, the Rays rallied and loaded the bases against Brewers closer Trevor Megill.

With the American Family Field atmosphere still affected by smoke from a premature firework launch earlier in the evening, Megill took the mound again after the umpire review changed what appeared to be a game-ending double play. He fell behind Jonny DeLuca to two balls and a strike before responding with a knuckle-curve near the inside corner to take strike two. DeLuca then watched Megill double up with another curve that dove beneath the zone, and the Rays’ first baseman swung and missed to keep the runners moving.

Milwaukee’s relief corps, which had carried that “lockdown” identity through the playoffs, survived the latest stress. After Megill retired DeLuca, the closer completed the job to end the game, turning the late threat into the Brewers’ edge.

The Brewers’ manager, Pat Murphy, had been able to build the bullpen usage around a plan established before the series. After Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski worked five innings, Murphy turned to Abner Uribe, who recorded four outs. Aaron Ashby followed and delivered five more outs, before Megill took over for the save situation.

Megill’s ninth inning produced the most drama. He retired Yandy Díaz before trouble arrived when Tampa Bay put two singles together with a double steal and a walk to load the bases. The next batter was Liam Hicks, and as Brice Turang attempted to start a game-ending double play, replays showed Cooper Pratt’s foot left the second-base bag as the play developed, allowing a run to score and extending the game.

After the review, Megill remained on the mound while the outcome was determined, taking deep breaths, asking a member of the umpiring crew what he was hearing, and throwing a couple of warmup pitches before finishing the inning. He then struck out DeLuca to close out the game.

The win reinforced a trend Milwaukee carried throughout the postseason. In all but one of its nine playoff games entering Friday, the Brewers bullpen had been used in the late innings, aiming to hand the game over to the relievers and “close the door.” Regular season results also framed the confidence: Milwaukee led the National League with a 3.40 bullpen ERA.

Through the playoffs up to Game 1, Milwaukee relievers had allowed nine runs, seven earned, in 44 2/3 innings, producing a 1.41 mark. The group that carried the heaviest late-inning workload included Uribe, Ashby and Megill, combining for 28 1/3 innings and allowing just three of those runs.

Uribe’s performance stood out even in a game where the primary story became the bullpen. The source reported Uribe hit 100.3 mph with his sinker on Friday, a pace that stood out in the context of Misiorowski’s outing as well. Murphy described Uribe’s work as “the best I’ve seen him in a while -- really special.”

Ashby continued that momentum. The source states he retired five consecutive batters to extend his scoreless streak to 19 innings, including 14 consecutive innings in the playoffs. Megill then earned his fifth postseason save, and the source notes he had blown just one save attempt since June 5.

Milwaukee’s Game 1 win also mattered in the broader arc of the postseason for the club. The source says that until Friday, the Brewers had navigated the entire postseason without receiving a win from their starters. Murphy’s trust in the relievers was described as a primary reason why Milwaukee managed to keep games under control even when the rotation struggled to secure wins.

Rays shortstop Taylor Walls offered the Rays’ perspective on what made the Brewers bullpen difficult to attack. He said, “They’ve been doing it all year,” and added that the strength was trying “to get to the fifth or sixth, turn it over to those guys and hopefully they can close the door.”

Ashby and Megill emphasized internal consistency in how Milwaukee used that group. Ashby said there was “no hierarchy of seniority or anything,” explaining that “Everyone’s even. And I think that’s what makes us special.” Megill added, “It’s been like that for four years here,” as Milwaukee leaned on a familiar bullpen approach.

For Tampa Bay, the practical takeaway from Game 1 was that it has now seen three of Milwaukee’s key late-inning relievers in this World Series opening stretch. The source indicates the Rays viewed that as potentially helpful later in the series, while also acknowledging that the Brewers’ bullpen would remain the benchmark Tampa Bay has to find ways to break.

Milwaukee, for its part, treated the win as one step rather than a resolution. Megill said, “It means a lot, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get there,” framing the performance as progress toward later games rather than a finished conclusion to the series.