Drew Rasmussen to Start World Series G5 on Short Rest with Rays Facing Elimination vs. Brewers

The Tampa Bay Rays will start Drew Rasmussen in Wednesday's Game 5, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, as the team tries to move another step closer to pulling off the rare reverse-sweep following Tuesday night's 12th-inning victory.

Rasmussen started Game 2 on Saturday and will be pitching on just three days rest. Rays manager Kevin Cash revealed he was up until four in the morning following his team's Game 4 win to prepare pitching plans for Game 5.

He didn't fare well in that contest, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks in 3.2 innings while striking out four. He threw 89 pitches in the contest. The Rays ultimately lost, 5-4, despite scoring four runs in the top of the first.

The Rays are very much in an all-hands-on-deck situation now, especially after requiring seven pitchers to get through Tuesday's 4-3 win. That included Game 1 starter Nick Martinez, who threw two innings in the victory.

Meanwhile Milwaukee will trot out ace Jacob Misiorowski. The Brewers used eight pitchers during Game 4, so getting a long outing from Misiorowski would be ideal, though he's only thrown 13.1 innings across three postseason games thus far, averaging 86 pitches per contest.

He does have a 2.70 ERA with 14 strikeouts and no homers allowed in those outings, however, and the Brewers have won all three games.

On paper, Misiorowski vs. Rasmussen on short rest is a pretty heavy mismatch in favor of the Brewers. But October baseball has a way of defying expectations.