MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers fans patiently waited 44 years for this night, and three hours later, with hoarse throats and weary legs, oh, was it ever worth it.
The Brewers, in front of 43,250 screaming fans who stood most of the game Friday at American Family Field, delivered a powerful victory in Game 1 of the World Series, 3-2, over the Tampa Bay Rays.
It was hardly easy, with the Rays refusing to fade into the night, but the Rays were their own worst enemy, three times running into outs on the bases, and having two balls glance off their gloves in the field.
“This team was the best team in the National League," Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda said before Game 1, “best team in baseball for a reason. … They do almost everything well."
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The Brewers, led by ace Jacob Misiorowski, dominated for five innings, and then sat back and watched the Brewers’ bullpen completely suffocate the Rays’ offense. The Brewers’ bullpen pitched four shutout innings, giving up just two singles, while Aaron Ashby continued his brilliance, pitching 1 ⅔ shutout innings. He has pitched 14 shutout innings this postseason, giving up just four hits.
The Brewers had just two extra-base hits without a homer, but scrapped and clawed their way to three runs with the top four hitters in the lineup_Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, Christian Yelich and William Contreras_producing six of their eight hits. They did most of their damage in the first inning with Chourio leading off with a single, Yelich hitting a one-out triple to center field field that glanced off Jonny DeLuca’s glove with Contreras following with a sharp single off shortstop Taylor Walls with a drawn-in infield.
But the real heroes, the Brewers say, are their fans.
“They're a big impact on these games, how loud they've been,’’ Yelich said. “The atmosphere they've created, it's definitely a difference maker. You kind of just see how excited everybody is in this city. You can kind of feel the energy….
“It's cool to be able to provide memories for people to be able to share with their family, their kids, their grandparents, or just friends that have been Brewers’ fans over the years for decades and getting to kind of experience this together. We know we represent a city and a state, and we're proud to do it. People coming up to you and saying they’ve been waiting their whole life for this and for this series.
“Looking forward to creating more memories for people.’’
Misiorowski, pitching on 11 days’ rest, set the tone on the first pitch of the game, throwing a 103.5-mph fastball, the fastest ever thrown in a World Series game when they first began tracking in 2008. He threw 10 pitches over 101-mph alone in the first inning, with five pitchers over 102-mph.
And then he went out and dominated for five innings, yielding four this and one run while striking out three batters.
It wasn’t vintage Miz, but after a long season – throwing 45 more innings than his career-high – still kept the Rays’ offense in check.
He nearly gave up a homer to Yandy Diaz to lead off the game, and then back-to-back singles to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson. But he escaped when Junior Caminero lined out to third baseman David Hamilton, who then threw to second base to double-up Aranda who was fooled on the liner.
It was the first of three critical mistakes by the Rays. Victor Mesa ended the fifth inning by inexplicably trying to steal third base with Diaz at the plate when he was already in scoring position. And Aranda ended the sixth inning when he was caught stealing second on a botched hit-and-run with Simpson at the plate, striking out for the second time. It was the first time Chandler struck out twice in a game since June 9.
Misiorowski graciously accepted the gifts, and even though he has not lasted past five innings in any of his three postseason starts, the Brewers have won all three games.
“He hasn't been as crisp,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I don't think people are up there thinking it's going to be 104, and I think they're elated if it's anything less than that. They're trying to exploit everything. He's exposed, like all these guys get at some point. He's exposed."
The Brewers now are three victories away from their first World Series championship in a year where everyone doubted them at the start of spring training. They traded away ace Freddy Peralta and rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin during the winter, following the past few years when All-Star shortstop Willy Adames left as a free agent, and All-Star closers Josh Hader and Devin Williams were traded, along with Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.
“The guys who walked out the door, they're some of the best players in baseball,’’ Yelich said. “Cy Young winners, relievers of the year, Willy was a really great player for us. So really what it does… everybody kind of doubts you again because you lose some big pieces, which is understandable. But this group just ends up finding its identity throughout the year, and coming together as a team, and finding our formula to win, and how we do it as a team.
“That's really what it's been year after year."
Brewers vs Rays World Series schedule
- Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
- Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
- Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
- Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
- Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
- Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers barrel through Rays in Game 1 after 44-year World Series wait
D.J. Short
Matthew Pouliot