The Milwaukee Brewers are two wins from their first World Series championship after rallying from an early four-run hole to beat the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2, a victory that ended on a disputed check-swing call at their home stadium.
Tampa Bay came out swinging following its Game 1 loss, scoring four runs in the first inning on RBI singles from Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero and a two-run home run from Liam Hicks. Milwaukee answered immediately, cutting the deficit in half in the bottom of the first on RBI singles from William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell.
Starting pitchers Logan Henderson and Drew Rasmussen combined for just 6.2 innings of work. Rasmussen was pulled in the fourth after loading the bases and surrendering another run, but Christian Yelich grounded out to end the threat. Milwaukee’s bullpen then shut the door, keeping Tampa Bay off the board the rest of the way.
Sal Frelick tied the game in the sixth with a solo home run off left-hander Ian Seymour, capping a nine-pitch at-bat. Milwaukee took the lead an inning later when Cooper Pratt drove in Brice Turang to make it 5-4.
The Brewers had a chance to pad their lead in the eighth with runners on second and third and Contreras, a four-hit man on the night, at the plate, but came away empty. Tampa Bay’s Johnny DeLuca opened the ninth with a double, putting the tying run in scoring position.
With two outs and DeLuca on third, Yandy Diaz worked the count to 3-2 against Aaron Ashby before the first-base umpire ruled Diaz had not checked his swing, ending the game. The call extended Ashby’s scoreless postseason streak to 15.2 innings. Jonathan Aranda, hitting .310 this postseason, was on deck, with Simpson and Caminero behind him.
Milwaukee finished with 11 hits to Tampa Bay’s seven, three of which came in the Rays’ first-inning outburst. Tampa Bay did not score again after that inning.
History is not on the Rays’ side. The 1996 New York Yankees are the last team to win a World Series after dropping the first two games, both at home, before reeling off four straight wins. Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven postseason series have gone on to win it 79 times out of 95.
Game 3 shifts to Tampa Bay on Monday night.
