Brewers Win a World Series Game for the First Time in 44 Years, Surviving Late Replay Drama and Premature Celebrations
The Milwaukee Brewers have won a World Series game for the first time since 1982. The Brew Crew beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in a hard-fought Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The closing drama at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Friday kept spectators on the edge of their seats until the final pitch.
The start belonged to the Brewers. Christian Yelich's RBI triple in the first inning put the hosts ahead, and a William Contreras single then made it 2-0. They scored no more for a while after that, as Nick Martinez settled down to work through five innings.
Milwaukee's pitching was just as effective. Jacob Misiorowski, tipped as the soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner, held the Rays to just one run in his five innings — though the Rays' baserunning mistakes played a big part in that.
In the first inning, with runners on first and second and one out, Junior Caminero lined out and Jonathan Aranda was doubled off at second to end the threat. In the fifth, Victor Mesa Jr. was caught stealing at third for the final out of the inning, a big baseball no-no.
The Brewers made almost the same mistake themselves. In the bottom half of the fifth, nine-hitter David Hamilton made the first out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple.
But in the seventh inning the Brewers got a huge insurance run through their typical small ball. Hamilton's productive out moved a runner into scoring position, and Jackson Chourio drove him in with an opposite-field, ground-ball single to make it 3-1. No team in the league hit to the opposite field and hit grounders at a higher rate than the Brewers in the regular season.
The real drama waited in the ninth inning. Down by two, the Rays loaded the bases with one out. Liam Hicks grounded into what was initially ruled a game-ending double play.
Replay, however, showed shortstop Cooper Pratt had come off second base. That made the score 3-2, with runners on second and third and two outs — and the game was alive again.
By then the Brewers had already ignited their fireworks; the premature celebration created a chaotic, fog-filled scene across the field. Into that atmosphere stepped Johnny DeLuca to bat.
DeLuca finally struck out to end the game, sealing the Brewers' long-awaited victory. The premature celebrations and the overturned replay call together made the finish a memorable one.
With this win the Brewers lead the series 1-0. The dream of a first-ever World Series title for the team has now grown brighter.
In Game 2 on Saturday night, Logan Henderson will pitch for Milwaukee, while Drew Rasmussen will take the mound for Tampa Bay. The second game will show whether the Brewers can keep this momentum going.
