A fast start and a record pitch
Milwaukee needed only the first inning to build a lead it never surrendered. Jackson Chourio opened with a single, Christian Yelich followed with a triple to right-center that brought him home, and William Contreras drove in Yelich in the next at-bat for a 2-0 advantage. Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers' 24-year-old starter, held Tampa Bay to one earned run across five innings, and his opening delivery to Yandy Díaz was measured at 103.5 mph, the quickest first pitch ever recorded in the World Series.[S1][S2][S3]
Tampa Bay's only run against Misiorowski came in the fourth, when Liam Hicks grounded out to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Brewers restored a two-run cushion in the seventh, when Chourio drove in Cooper Pratt with a ball down the right-field line. Misiorowski finished with three strikeouts, a modest total by his standards, but the outing was enough to make him the youngest pitcher to win a World Series opener since 1997.[S1][S2][S3]
A ninth inning that stopped and restarted
The Rays made the finish uncomfortable. With one out in the ninth, Hicks grounded into what was first ruled a game-ending double play, prompting applause and the start of postgame setup on the field. Replay review showed only one out had been recorded, so the grounds crew and broadcast equipment were pulled back and Trevor Megill returned to the mound. He loaded the bases before striking out Jonny DeLuca to strand the tying run at third and preserve the 3-2 win.[S2][S3]
Pat Murphy credited his closer for staying calm through the delay. The Brewers manager called that final at-bat the most important of the game and said Contreras deserved player-of-the-game recognition for his work on both sides of the ball, including throwing out two Tampa Bay base stealers. Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson accounted for five of the Rays' seven hits, but Tampa Bay went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.[S2][S3]
A city's long wait ends
Friday's game was Milwaukee's first World Series contest since 1982, the franchise's only previous appearance. City buses carried messages of support, images of four relief pitchers hung above the downtown public market, and a sellout crowd of 43,250 filled American Family Field. Before the first pitch, franchise figures Robin Yount, Bud Selig and Ryan Braun welcomed fans to the ballpark.[S2][S3]
The Brewers are now 8-1 in this postseason and have won six consecutive playoff games, a streak spanning more than two weeks. Kevin Cash said his Rays remain a confident group and suggested that seeing Milwaukee's Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Megill in this game could help Tampa Bay later in the series. He also noted that his team was one swing away from taking the lead at the end. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, with Drew Rasmussen starting for the Rays against Logan Henderson for the Brewers.[S2]
