The Brewers World Series opener delivered everything Milwaukee had waited 44 years for — and almost gave it away in the final inning. The Milwaukee Brewers held on for a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series before a roaring sellout crowd at American Family Field.
Milwaukee led from the first inning and never trailed, yet the ending was anything but comfortable. Closer Trevor Megill escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, striking out Jonny DeLuca with the tying run standing at third base to seal a win that had briefly looked lost — and then, after a replay review, looked lost again.
FAKTA
- Result: Milwaukee Brewers 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2 — Game 1 of the World Series
- Date and venue: Friday, 23 October 2026, American Family Field, Milwaukee
- Attendance: 43,250 — Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982
- Winning pitcher: Jacob Misiorowski — five innings, one run, four hits
- Save: Trevor Megill — his fifth save in five postseason chances
- Series: Milwaukee lead 1-0; Game 2 follows on Saturday night
- Record moment: Misiorowski’s 103.5 mph opening fastball, the fastest pitch in World Series history
Brewers World Series opener turns on replay review
The ninth inning will be talked about for years in Milwaukee. Megill entered with a 3-1 lead and conceded consecutive one-out singles, before a double steal and a walk loaded the bases. Liam Hicks then appeared to bounce into a game-ending double play — and the home crowd began celebrating, with fireworks going off in anticipation.
But Tampa Bay challenged, and the review showed shortstop Cooper Pratt had come off the bag at second base before receiving the throw. Hicks was out on the fielder’s choice, yet the run counted, the score closed to 3-2, and runners stood at second and third. Megill, to his credit, reset himself and struck out DeLuca swinging to end it properly.
Milwaukee’s early work had set up the win. Jackson Chourio singled on the first pitch of the game and scored on Christian Yelich’s triple, before William Contreras followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-0 first-inning lead. Chourio’s single in the seventh inning drove in the run that ultimately proved decisive.
Misiorowski sets the tone from the first pitch
Misiorowski announced himself with his very first delivery: a 103.5 mph fastball, the fastest pitch ever recorded in a World Series game. He went on to allow one run on four hits across five innings, striking out three and walking one in a 78-pitch outing, in a season in which his 1.80 earned run average and 252 strikeouts had both led the major leagues.
Behind him, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined for three scoreless innings with five strikeouts, keeping Tampa Bay at bay until the ninth. Contreras, meanwhile, controlled the game from behind the plate as well as with the bat, throwing out two would-be base stealers and reaching base three times. The Rays had arrived in the series perfect in ten stolen-base attempts in the postseason; twice they ran on Contreras, and twice they were caught.
What Game 1 means for the series
The result carries real weight beyond one win. This is only the second World Series in more than a century in which neither finalist has ever won the title — the other came in 1980, when Philadelphia beat Kansas City. Milwaukee’s only previous appearance ended in a seven-game defeat in 1982, while Tampa Bay lost finals in 2008 and 2020. One of these clubs will therefore lift the trophy for the first time.
History also favours the Game 1 winner, who has gone on to win the World Series in 62.8 percent of previous series. Tampa Bay, though, will take encouragement from how close they came in the ninth and from the fact that their ace was held back for Game 2. The Rays now need a win on Saturday night to avoid heading home trailing 2-0.
For Milwaukee, the message of the night was simple: 44 years of waiting ended with a win, sealed the hard way. More sports coverage is available on Watan News.
