Brewers withstand Rays' comeback attempt to win 3-2 in Game 1 of World Series

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Trevor Megill was shouting in celebration and the Milwaukee Brewers were bolting out of the dugout to congratulate one another, believing they had just escaped a ninth-inning jam to win Game 1 of the World Series.

Not quite yet.

What initially was ruled a game-ending double play got overturned after a video review showed Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt’s right foot was slightly off the bag when he reached to catch a high throw from second baseman Brice Turang.

No problem.

Megill regrouped and struck out Jonny DeLuca with two runners in scoring position as Milwaukee edged the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday night.

“It's good to get the first win out of the way,” Megill said. “That's where all the nerves are at. First game, a lot of anticipation and build-up to where we are right now."

The ninth inning was particularly nerve-racking for the Brewers and the sellout crowd attending Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982.

“You have a big range of emotions,” said team captain Christian Yelich, whose RBI triple in the first put the Brewers ahead for good. “It’s a big credit to Trev for locking back in right there and making some huge pitches after you have that emotional dump and then have to get back on it.”

Tampa Bay trailed 3-1 and hadn’t put a runner on since the sixth until it mounted its comeback attempt against Megill.

Jonathan Aranda, who went 3 for 3 with a walk, and Chandler Simpson hit consecutive one-out singles. A double steal involving pinch-runner Jorge Mateo and Simpson put runners on second and third before Junior Caminero walked on a 3-2 pitch in the dirt to load the bases.

Liam Hicks hit a grounder to the right side, and Turang ranged well to his left to field the ball before throwing to Pratt to start what initially was called a 4-6-3 double play.

Fireworks went off, players poured onto the field and Milwaukee fans roared. But then the crowd hushed as it watched the play again on the videoboard.

“You've got to think worst-case scenario there,” Megill said. “I thought the challenge was at first base, maybe a bobble or something. But it was pretty clear once the replay went up that it was on the play at second base. Zoomed in and it didn't look good. It's all right. We picked up Cooper there. He'll pick us up tomorrow.”

The out call at second was changed to safe by umpire Alfonso Márquez at the MLB Replay Center, which caught Pratt by surprise.

“Obviously, it was close,” the 22-year-old rookie said. “I just didn't think it was enough to overturn, so I wasn't thinking anything of it. The video I saw, thought my cleat was dragging. ... There must have been some other angles that I haven't seen. It ultimately didn't matter because we won.”

The Brewers won because Megill got DeLuca to swing and miss at a 2-2 pitch, capping a night in which Tampa Bay went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

“This is an extremely confident group,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “You know that. We know that. They’re going to be fine. I think the frustration comes from we were one swing of the bat away right at the end of potentially taking the lead.”

The Game 1 winner has gone on to win the World Series 62.8% of the time.

This marks the first World Series featuring two teams seeking their first championship since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals in six games. The only other major league clubs without a World Series title are the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.

Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Nick Martinez. NL Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run and four hits over five innings to help the Brewers stay in front before relievers Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby shut down the Rays through the eighth.

Misiorowski, who had a season-low three strikeouts, opened the game with a 103.5 mph fastball — the fastest pitch ever thrown in a World Series.

“The adrenaline kind of took over, and I tensed up and threw it hard,” said Misiorowski, who earned the win. “Then I settled down, and that was the game plan, to settle in and do me. Don’t try and overdo it.”

Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio and William Contreras each had two hits, including an RBI single. Contreras also threw out two runners trying to steal.

Tampa Bay managed to hang around thanks in part to Martinez, who gave up those two runs in the first but held Milwaukee scoreless through the rest of his five-inning stint. The Brewers added an insurance run in the seventh when Chourio singled home Pratt.

Then came all the action in the ninth, with the Brewers' premature celebration followed by a team-wide sigh of relief as Pratt offered some parting words to Megill.

“I just said, ‘Thank you, man. Thanks for picking me up,’” Pratt said. “That’s what this game is. It's a game of pick-me-up. He picked me up today.”

Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA) pitches for Tampa Bay and Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47) starts for Milwaukee in Game 2 on Saturday night. In this postseason, Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and Henderson is 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

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Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero follows through on a double during the fourth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill throws during the ninth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Trevor Megill celebrates their win in Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Steven Matz throws during the sixth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe celebrates after a play during the sixth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe motions as he walks to the dugout during the seventh inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras runs on a base hit during the eighth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski celebrates after the second inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A few inches here and some smarter baserunning by Victor Mesa Jr. there, and the Tampa Bay Rays might have won the World Series opener.

Mesa and Jonathan Aranda were caught stealing in consecutive innings, and the Milwaukee Brewers got a pair of run-scoring hits in a two-pitch span when hard-hit balls glanced off the gloves of center fielder Jonny DeLuca and shortstop Taylor Walls in the first.

Milwaukee came away with a 3-2 win Friday night, winning on the margins and taking advantage of the types of mistakes the Rays usually pounce on to beat opponents.

“Definitely have to be smart. We talked about that coming in,” Tampa Bay outfielder Chandler Simpson said. “They just played the game better than us today.”

DeLuca missed his attempt at a diving catch on Christian Yelich’s one-out drive in the first inning with Jackson Chourio on first base. Yelich hit an 0-2 cutter to the right-center gap and DeLuca sprinted 85 feet and sprawled. The ball bounced off his glove in front of the warning track and rolled to the wall for a go-ahead triple.

“You can’t be perfect in this game,” DeLuca said. “You’re going to fail a lot more than you’re going to succeed.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash didn't view it as a failure.

“Jonny covered a lot of ground right there to even make that play close," he said. “Highlight-reel play.”

With the infield in, William Contreras lined the next pitch at 108.4 mph. The ball glanced off the webbing of Walls' glove and into left field for an RBI single and a 2-0 lead.

“We gave ourselves plenty of opportunities, put ourselves in really good positions to score runs, to prevent runs,” Walls said. “We had some good plays where we did prevent some, and then we had some that we were inches away from maybe saving a couple more.”

With the Rays trailing 2-1 after Liam Hicks' RBI groundout in the fourth, Mesa was caught stealing third for the final out of the fifth with Yandy Díaz at the plate.

“Victor is really competing, trying to do something to make something happen, put a little pressure on the defense,” Cash said, “and it didn’t work in our favor.”

One inning later, Aranda was thrown out trying to swipe second as Simpson struck out on a low slider for an inning-ending double play.

“That’s on me, ultimately. So much trust in Chandler putting the ball in play,” Cash said. “But he had a pretty nasty pitch.”

Brewers catcher William Contreras had an excellent 1.49-second pop time in throwing out Mesa.

“Not surprised by anything that he did, but that’s not going to change our aggressive approach, certainly on the bases,” Cash said.

Tampa Bay went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position while Milwaukee was 2 for 8. The Rays led the major leagues with a .283 RISP average during the season and the Brewers were second at .276.

“They play the same type of game we play, so we know it’s going to be close, like today was, and we're expecting that all throughout the Series,” Simpson said. “We've got to continue to play our game the best that we can and we should come out on top most of the time.”

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Milwaukee Brewers' David Hamilton is tagged out by Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero trying to advance on a double during the fifth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash pulls Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Garrett Cleavinger from the game during the eighth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) is caught stealing by Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt during the sixth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Tampa Bay Rays' Victor Mesa Jr. is tagged out stealing by Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton during the fifth inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Milwaukee, between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)