The Brewers win the first game

Pascal Harvey
The Brewers win the first game
Credit: MLB.com

Baseball fans were expecting a hard-fought battle between the two teams competing in the 2026 World Series, and they certainly weren't disappointed when Game 1 ended with the Milwaukee Brewers winning 3-2.

Both managers, Pat Murphy (Brewers) and Kevin Cash (Rays), once again demonstrated their expertise, but the Brewers' manager had the upper hand over his counterpart. The decision to bring in reliever Kevin Kelly in the seventh inning to face the dangerous Jackson Chourio was the right call by the Rays' manager, but Kelly allowed the Brewers' hitter to drive in the winning run.

The player who really made a difference in this first matchup was William Contreras. The Brewers catcher stole the show with an offensive performance that included two hits in three at-bats, along with a walk. Contreras also drove in his team's second run in the first inning. Number 24 caught two runners trying to steal at key moments in the game and was successful twice when he appealed to the ABS system.

It was definitely a memorable night for the pitcher, who could be traded after the World Series concludes.

On the mound, just as against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jacob Misiorowski wasn't as dominant as he had been during the regular season. His manager opted to pull him after five innings of work, thereby preventing the Rays' hitters from facing him for a third at-bat. He finished his outing with just three strikeouts.

For his part, Nick Martinez—whom few expected to take the mound in Game 1 of this series—still managed a respectable outing. Despite giving up two runs in the very first inning—courtesy of a triple by Christian Yelich and a single by William Contreras—the Rays' starter regained control of the game afterward. He held his own against Misiorowski, the future Cy Young Award winner in the National League.

The 43,250 fans at American Family Field got their money's worth (even if they had to dip into their savings to attend the game). The electric atmosphere gave the home team an extra shot of adrenaline.

Trevor Megill recorded his fifth save of the 2026 postseason, even though he allowed a run to the Rays during a somewhat controversial ninth inning. The imposing Brewers reliever allowed two hits and walked one batter. It was time for Pat Murphy's team to close out the game, and things are looking promising for the second matchup between the two teams, which will take place today.

Jonathan Aranda continued his strong offensive performance for the Rays, recording three hits in as many at-bats. He is batting .316 in this postseason.

Canadian Liam Hicks drove in both of his team's runs.

Good news for Rays fans: Drew Rasmussen will start for Tampa Bay in Game 2, facing off against Logan Henderson. Rasmussen has a 2-0 record and a 1.29 ERA so far in the 2026 playoffs.

Kevin Cash surprised everyone by giving Martinez the ball in Game 1. We'll see if the strategy of saving Rasmussen pays off.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.

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