Rays vs. Brewers MLB World Series Game 1 Live Updates, Results, Highlights and Reaction

The Bullpen Is Still Doing Its Job

Sure, Trevor Megill was charged with an earned run for the first time all postseason. But that could have easily been avoided if Cooper Pratt had gotten his foot down on the double play that wasn't, even if it ended up being no harm, no foul.

As it is, Megill, Aaron Ashby and Abner Uribe combined for just that one run in 4.0 innings of work in Game 1. It's more of the same for those three and for Milwaukee's bullpen as a whole, which now has a 1.41 ERA for the postseason.

Though Tampa Bay's bullpen also pitched 4.0 innings of one-run ball in its own right, it took four relievers to do it and generally felt like more of a struggle. Their pen has a 3.55 ERA for the playoffs, which would be good enough if Milwaukee's standard wasn't so much higher.

The Stars Did Their Jobs

Even if Jacob Misiorowski only went 5.0 innings, that's still longer than he went in his first two outings of the playoffs. He still didn't look especially sharp, but he was able to bend without breaking while otherwise doing his usual thing of breaking velocity records.

Otherwise, of course it was Christian Yelich, William Contreras and Jackson Chourio who drove in the Brewers' runs. Coming through is just what they do, as even the aging Yelich has look rejuvenated in these playoffs.

Not to be overlooked is that Contreras also threw out two baserunners trying to steal. He was among the best at that in the regular season, and it's high among the reasons the Brewers came away from Game 1 with a W.

They Really Ran Themselves Into Trouble

The Rays put plenty of runners on in Game 1, but they unfortunately wasted three of them with boneheaded baserunning.

In the first inning, Jonathan Aranda wandered too far off second base and got doubled off after a soft line drive to third. In the fifth, Victor Mesa Jr. got thrown out trying to steal third with two outs with Yandy Díaz at the plate, no less. Then in the sixth, a botched hit-and-run resulted in a double play when Chandler Simpson struck out and Aranda got thrown out at second.

Making things happen on the basepaths is part of the Rays' brand, but these lost baserunners really hurt them in a game they ended up losing by the slimmest of margins. If they're going to keep it up, they at least need to be smarter about it.

Nick Martinez Came Through for Kevin Cash

When Martinez gave up two runs before he had even gotten two outs in the first inning, you had to wonder if Cash had overthought his decision to push back Drew Rasmussen's first World Series assignment.

Instead, Martinez ended up having a better night than Jacob Misiorowski. Both only went 5.0 innings, but Martinez recorded more strikeouts and only allowed two more hits after giving up three in the first. He also didn't walk anyone.

He's not the flashiest pitcher in this series, but he was an All-Star this season for a reason. Dude can pitch, and Cash shouldn't hesitate to trust him again later in this series*.

*If he gets the chance, of course.

It's not often that a team thinks it has a game won only to find out that it's not over yet. That it happened to the Brewers tonight in Game 1 of the World Series is truly wild.

As Yelich said, it was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. And for nobody more so than Trevor Megill, who had to get back on the mound and get one more out.

Nobody will be surprised to hear it, but winning Game 1 of the World Series tends to be a good omen. In the history of best-of-seven series, winners of Game 1 also win the series 64 percent of the time.

If you're a Brewers fan and you don't want to hear it, just remember: It's not a jinx if it's math.

Remember when Joe Starkey yelled "The band is out on the field!" back in 1982? Yeah. Same energy at the end of this one. Or, what the Brewers thought was the end, anyway.

Had the Rays completed the comeback after the overturned double play, what was merely an amazing Game 1 would have gone into the books as an all-timer. Even as is, it's one of the wilder endings in recent World Series history.

The double play that wasn't doesn't end up hurting the Brewers. They went from celebrating a Game 1 win to having to go back to competing, but Trevor Megill got Jonny DeLuca to swing over a curveball to end it.

For any Brewers fans watching at home: No, this isn't a dream. It just looked that way because of the fireworks smoke obscuring the view of Megill's last pitch to DeLuca.

This looked like an incredible game-ending double play by Brice Turang and Cooper Pratt, but the replay review determined that Pratt didn't get his foot down on the second base bag.

A run is in and the Rays have runners at second and third with two outs.

A William Contreras single and a Brice Turang walk set the Brewers up with first and second and nobody out, but the rally fizzled from there. A bunt lineout and two ground balls got the Rays out of the inning, even if a challenge overturned a double play on the first.

The Rays will have the top of their order due up in the ninth against Brewers closer Trevor Megill.

Make that 14.0 scoreless innings for the lefty in the postseason, with this latest coming via two strikeouts and a groundout in the eighth inning.

This game is pretty much confirming what NLDS and NLCS taught everyone about the Brewers: If you don't have a lead on them after five innings, you're in trouble.

Following Jackson Chourio's RBI single, Jake Bauers dumped one down the line that just barely nicked the foul line. The Rays challenged, but the call was confirmed. Bauers got to first, with Chourio ending up at third.

From there, Kevin Kelly got Christian Yelich to ground out for the third out.

He's only batting .205, but his run-scoringsingle in the seventh makes it eight RBI in nine games so far for the postseason.

Oh, and he's still just 22 years old. Chourio now has 19 RBI for his playoff career, grabbing the top all-time spot for postseason RBI for a player before his age-23 season. He had been tied with Carlos Correa.

Ashby came in and fanned Liam Hicks, and then got Jonny DeLuca to fly out softly to right field to end the Rays' half of the seventh. That's now 13 scoreless innings for the lefty in the playoffs, with four hits and three walks allowed.

The Rays still only need one run to tie, but they only have six outs left to get it.

Congratulations to Italian Sausage. When the book on this World Series is written, this is at least worth a footnote.

Say what you will about John Smoltz, but he was spot-on in his commentary about Uribe not throwing Junior Caminero a slider in the zone on an 0-2 pitch.

He did. And he hung it. And Caminero swung and misseed anyway. Hoo boy.

Uribe is now done, with Aaron Ashby coming in to face a string of left-handed hitters for the Rays.

He had a rough first inning, giving up three hits and two runs before he got two outs. But he really locked in after that, ultimately making Kevin Cash look good for picking him over Drew Rasmussen.

Steven Matz is the first man out of Tampa Bay's bullpen. He worked around a pair of two-out walks to keep the Brewers scoreless in the sixth.

To be fair, this looked like a hit-and-run with Chandler Simpson at the plate. He had the lowest strikeout rate in the AL this year, so Kevin Cash was playing the odds of him putting the ball in play.

Even so, there's no scenario in which a strikeout wasn't going to turn into a double play with Jonathan Aranda running and Contreras throwing. We're talking 12th percentile sprint speed vs. one of the best arms there is behind the plate.

He made it through five on 78 pitches, but he only struck out three and really wasn't sharp all night.

It's now up to Milwaukee's bullpen, starting with Abner Uribe. Brewers relievers have a 1.33 ERA for the postseason.

David Hamilton might have been doomed as soon as he stumbled rounding second base trying to stretch a sure double into a triple, but still. What a relay by Mesa and Ben Williamson.

Mesa averaged 93.3 mph on his throws this season. So if you're going to test him, you better cut the bag well and stay on your feet.

Jackson Chourio grounded out five pitches later to end the inning. Nick Martinez is through five on 73 pitches.

For the first time in three outings this postseason, Misiorowski has made it through the fifth inning! And all it took was a laser to third by Contreras to nab Victor Mesa Jr. trying to steal.

Trying to steal third with two outs in a one-run game? Always risky. Doing it when Yandy Díaz at the plate? Just plain dumb. Dude hit .370 with runners in scoring position this season.

Nice throw and nice pick, and how about the footwork by Bauers? Tom Emanski approves, surely.

A clean fourth inning, and he's now retired 11 of the last 12 batters he's faced. And with some nice words of encouragement for Jonathan Aranda, to boot.

It looked for a moment like Martinez might not escape the first inning. Given that and the lean bridge to Rays closer Bryan Baker, the way in which he's turned it around is a huge development in this game.

Hey! Hey, you! You got a ticket for this sidewalk?!

Jonathan Aranda started the fourth with a leadoff walk. Then, after a rare strikeout by Chandler Simpson, Caminero sent one 113 mph in Garrett Mitchell's direction in center field that went for a double after clanking off his glove.

It's a catch Mitchell should have made, but that's not to say it was easy. And it led to a run when Liam Hicks grounded out to first.

He's a guy who likes his steaks the way he likes his biceps: as big as possible.

Nothing in the third for the Brewers against Martinez, who went 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts. He now has five strikeouts to Jacob Misiorowski's two.

Fun fact: Martinez's 15.1 K% during the regular season was the lowest among qualified starters, while Misiorowski's 37.9 K% was the highest.

This time with a groundout, strikeout and lineout. He's retired seven batters in a row since the first inning.

It feels like he's taken a bit off the fastball tonight, yet its average velocity is at 101.3 mph so far. He was at 100.6 mph during the regular season. So, it must be because he's "only" topped out at 103.5 mph.

Challenged him and everything. Strike three was 95 mph right down the middle, and Chourio couldn't hit it.

Also of note: Sal Frelick stealing third base before Chourio struck out. That's a risky play with two outs and Chourio at the plate, but it seems the Brewers aren't interested in taking their foot off the gas.

A groundout followed by a flyout and a strikeout, with third base umpire Vic Carapazza ruling that Victor Mesa Jr. went around on a check swing.

The second strike of Mesa's at-bat came courtesy of William Contreras, who once again showed how good he is at using the ABS challenge system.

Even when they've been behind, the Brewers have had teams right where they want them this October. And now they have a lead.

He struck out Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell back-to-back to strand William Contreras on first base. Both whiffs came on the changeup, which is coming in 16.2 mph slower than his fastball so far.

That could have gotten ugly after the Brewers had two runs before they had two outs. Nice job by Martinez to limit the damage.

Another bolt, this one at 108.4 mph off the bat for a single to drive in Christian Yelich from third.

For anyone scoring at home: Nick Martinez got one out before getting his first mound visit.

Heck of an effort by Jonny DeLuca out in center field, but this was an absolute bolt into the gap by Yelich. It was 103 mph off the bat and had an expected batting average of .630.

Rays hitters showed a good approach, including on back-to-back singles by Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson. Neither was hit hard, but hitting can be a lot like real estate: location, location, location.

Junior Caminero only hit his ball at 75.6 mph, and Aranda just plain ventured too far off the bag. We'll see if that comes back to haunt the Rays.

The record for a starting pitcher was 101.5 mph, set by Noah Syndergaard in 2015.

It is now 103.5 mph after Jacob Misiorowski's first pitch to Yandy Díaz.

Robin Yount, wearing one of the late Bob Uecker's coats, took the ball from former Brewers owner Bud Selig and delivered the ceremonial first pitch.

Yeah, that's about as good as it gets.

It was a fine performance, which comes as no great surprise given that she's a Grammy-nominated artist.

One small gripe: It would have been nice to pick someone with ties to Milwaukee. A word search for Milwaukee on Guyton's Wikipedia page turned up exactly zero results.

Because of a series of shoulder injuries, Woodruff only has 32 appearances to show for the last four seasons. The last one this year came all the way back on July 9.

That the two-time All-Star righty is now on Milwaukee's World Series roster feels like a miracle. No matter how he pitches, Brewers fans are clearly thrilled for the team's longest-tenured player.

Think "The Miz" can beat Noah Syndergaard's Statcast-era World Series record of 101.5 mph?

Uh, yeah. Probably. He's already thrown 40 pitches harder than that in these playoffs, with a max speed of 104.8 mph.

He has the fastest bat in the league, and we know from this year's Home Run Derby that he's capable of going as far as 487 feet.

So to avoid any further disruptions, the FOX crew might want to move their desk somewhere else. Ideally, outside or in some kind of underground bunker.

The big surprise for Game 1 came out on Wednesday, when the Rays revealed their starter to be Nick Martinez over Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta.

The decision was in part meant to get extra rest for Rasmussen, who has put a career-high 193 innings on his right arm. The Rays also have confidence in Martinez, an All-Star who led the team to a 24-9 record in his starts during the regular season.

It's always interesting to see where Chandler Simpson bats in the Rays' lineup, and this is just the sixth time all year he's started in the No. 3 spot. Kevin Cash must like the speedster as a potential pest against Jacob Misiorowski.

On Milwaukee's side, this is the highest Jake Bauers has slotted in the lineup all year. Pat Murphy is playing the hot hand after Bauers won NLCS MVP, driving in six runs just in the last three games of a sweep against the Los Angeles Dodgers.