Oct 22, 2026; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Tampa Bay Rays on at American Family Field during a workout session before the 2026 World Series. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rob Manfred’s worst nightmare has come true. Tonight sees the start of a World Series which sees two teams from the bottom half of the payroll rankings face off. This comes in advance of fractious CBA negotiations, where the suggestion of a salary cap for competitive balance reasons, can be countered by pointing at this World Series. Never mind that the last World Series winner to be ranked outside the top ten was 2017. The small markets involved could also prove to be a ratings apocalypse. The current low for a World Series is our one in 2023, when the five games against the Rangers drew a rating of just 4.7%. The Dodgers-Yankees match-up the following year was more than half as much again (7.3%).
Still, maybe the draw of two teams never to have taste glory in its ultimate form will prove of appeal. Regardless, this will be the last major-league baseball we get to see for a while – given the looming lockout, probably longer than normal. So I suggest you take the chance to enjoy it while you can…
Tampa Bay Rays @ Milwaukee Brewers (0-0): 5 pm, FOX
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres delivers the pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning in game four of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
San Diego’s Surprise Ace
To use the word “ace” for Walker Buehler might seem like a bit much. The veteran righty posted a 4.63 ERA across 153 2/3 innings this season. He was signed to a minor-league deal with the Friars in hopes that he could perform to some degree. He delivered, and then some. For the final two months of the season, Buehler never allowed more than three earned runs in any start he made (13 starts).
Overall Grade: A
Solely based on anchoring the rotation alongside Michael King, Buehler deserves an A. His ERA is only high due to a tough July that saw him post a 9.82 ERA. Most of that damage came in his first two outings, with Buehler surrendering 16 runs across a nine-inning stretch. However, that came immediately after a dominant June (1.71 ERA, 26.1 IP), so it’s tough to judge him too harshly on that blip.
Buehler hasn’t been the same since he underwent Tommy John surgery in late 2022. He earned Cy Young votes after a dominant 2021 season, but has struggled immensely since. Until 2026, Buehler had accrued -0.9 Wins Above Replacement from 2022-25. He was coming off of consecutive negative WAR seasons (-1.1 in 2024, -0.1 in 2025) heading into 2026, but posted 0.9 WAR with San Diego.
The overall grade has less to do with Buehler’s overall production and more to do with how he anchored the Friars’ starting group. Buehler was, if nothing else, available. The right-hander never missed a single start in the regular season, making 32 total for the team. Only one other pitcher (King) started in 30-plus games. The next was Randy Vásquez with 23 starts. It’s impossible to state just how much that did for the Padres’ pitching staff down the stretch.
Everyone loves free Taco Bell, but we won't get any out of the World Series this year.
That's actually been the case since 2023.
Taco Bell used to have its "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion, which granted fans a free taco (often a Doritos Locos Taco) if a player from one of the two teams competing in the World Series stole a base.
The last time the promotion was active, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers were competing in the World Series in 2023. Taco Bell was an official partner of MLB, but the long-running sponsorship between the two partners ended, halting the free taco offer.
The "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion began with the 2007 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies. The promotion did not happen every year after that; it took a short break from 2009-2011.
Los Angeles Dodgers standout Mookie Betts is the only player who was responsible for activating the taco promotion twice. He stole a base while with the Red Sox in 2018 and again as a member of the Dodgers during the 2020 World Series.
Taco Bell stolen base World Series history
For more than a decade, every World Series yielded a winner, a loser, an MVP and — when Taco Bell had its "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion starting in 2007 — a "Taco Hero."
Here's a look at those heroes:
2023: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte stole the first base of the 2023 World Series in Game 1 against the Texas Rangers. Marte stole second base easily off Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi in the top of the third inning in the Diamondbacks' 6-5 loss to the Rangers. The Rangers won the series 4-1.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber stole the first base of the World Series in Game 1 against the Houston Astros. He reached first base on an infield single off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu in the top of the seventh inning with everything tied up, 5-5. Schwarber, who was nursing a knee injury at the time, then stole second base to move into scoring position in the Phillies' 6-5 win over the Astros.
America won free tacos only three batters into the 2021 World Series. Albies used his speed to beat out an infield single in the top of the first inning of Game 1 vs. the Houston Astros, then promptly stole second in the Braves' 6-2 win. The Braves won the World Series 4-2.
In honor of the 10th "Taco Hero," the base that Albies stole was memorialized in Cooperstown.
The Dodgers outfielder became the first two-time honoree when he stole second base in the fifth inning of Game 1 in his team's 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, two years after his steal in the 2018 World Series triggered the freebie.
Turner reached base with a single on the second pitch of Game 1, and then immediately stole second to earn everyone a free Doritos Locos Taco. The Nationals won 5-4. The Nationals went on to win the series in seven games.
"My mom was asking me to win free tacos," Turner said postgame, jokingly adding, "I didn't want to get yelled at so I figured I'd steal the base."
In the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series in 2018, Betts led off with a single up the middle, then stole second base on the very next pitch. The Red Sox won 8-4 in Game 1 and won the World Series in five games.
2017: Cameron Maybin, Houston Astros
Outfielder Cameron Maybin singled in the 11th-inning of Game 2 of the World Series against the Dodgers. The single also set him up to steal second in the Astros' 7-6 win. Maybin ended up scoring the go-ahead run when George Springer followed him with a homer to right field in extra innings.
The Royals outfielder stole second base in the bottom of the sixth inning of his team’s 5-4 win over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the World Series. That year, however, America got free Taco Bell A.M. Crunchwraps, corresponding with Taco Bell's "Steal a Base, Steal a Breakfast" promotion. The Royals won the series, 4-1.
"Who wants Taco Bell?" Cain said afterwards. "It's on me."
Lorenzo Cain, after 5 hours of baseball and a crucial stolen base: "I need my Taco Bell before bed. Who wants Taco Bell? It's on me."
Pagán stole a base in the eighth inning of the Giants' 2-0 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the World Series at AT&T Park. Pagan not only won America free tacos, but he helped serve them at a Taco Bell location. The Giants swept the Tigers in the World Series.
Angel Pagan was the celebrity server at the Redwood City Taco Bell today! Let's re-sign him for 2013! #sfgiantspic.twitter.com/xKVOAeI1
Bartlett stole second base in the bottom of the fifth inning in the Rays' 3-2 loss to the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series. The Rays lost the World Series to the Phillies, 4-1.
2007: Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox outfielder was the first "Taco Hero" with a steal of second base in Game 2 of the 2007 World Series against the Colorado Rockies. Boston won the game 2-1 and went on to sweep the Fall Classic.
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,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said. “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 — before 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 call was overturned 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 potential first-time champions since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals in six games. The only other major league teams 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,” Misiorowski said. “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 thorugh 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.”
Up next
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.
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,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said. “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 — before 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 call was overturned 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 potential first-time champions since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals in six games. The only other major league teams 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,” Misiorowski said. “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 thorugh 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.”
Up next
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.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 22: World Series signage is seen during a workout day prior to game on of the 2026 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 22, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We get game one of the World Series tonight. I guess I’m sort of cheering for the Brewers but really it doesn’t matter.
But in games three and four, Ernie Clement will be ‘providing player-first coverage’, which should be fun.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 22: First baseman Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during a workout day prior to game on of the 2026 World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on October 22, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 1 of the World Series Friday night in Milwaukee at American Family Field. The Tampa Bay Rays will start RHP Nick Martinez while it will be RHP Jacob Misiorowski taking the mound for the Brewers. First pitch is scheduled for 7pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Fox.
Oct 10, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
BOSTON — Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t anticipate a clear pathway to coast through the Eastern Conference this season.
Unlike last season, the conference is in much better shape. The return of Tyrese Haliburton plus the upgrade-filled offseason executed by the 76ers are merely a few challenges the Celtics will need to navigate this season. Mazzulla understands this and is prepared to construct his outlook with a much more nuanced perspective.
“This year, in particular, I would say 50 wins is a marker of a good team,” Mazzulla said before Friday night’s home opener against the Knicks. “I don’t know if a record will be a reflection of how good a team is in the East this year.”
The Celtics are among those in the East rolling out a new-look group. They’ve re-added Tatum, joined by veterans Paul George and Mitchell Robinson, which gives Boston a depth upgrade in comparison to last season’s Jaylen Brown-led Celtics. But that’s on paper, and it’s without consideration for the rest of the conference.
Brown, now in Philadelphia, has joined forces with LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now in Miami with Bam Adebayo and the Heat, and Kawhi Leonard is once again a member of the Raptors, pairing with two-time Toronto All-Star Scottie Barnes.
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 20: Jayson Tatum #0 and Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics talk during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 20, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mazzulla isn’t looking at Boston’s competition through the simplicity of a black-and-white lens. He not-so-subtly referenced last season’s Celtics as a prime example of a team’s win total only meaning so much.
“You could have a 41-win team and still be a matchup nightmare in the playoffs,” Mazzulla said. “There was a team I once (coached) a long, long time ago. They were a 56-win team, and they lost in the first round of the playoffs. So it could go either way.”
Just one game into the schedule, the Celtics have work to do.
Boston coughed up a 22-point third-quarter lead in Tuesday’s season-opener against the Pistons by allowing second-half shooting woes to aid Detroit to a 23-0 run and eventual 121-113 Celtics collapse.
Sloppy late-game execution came with a dreadful price in Detroit for the Celtics, although Mazzulla doesn’t view the loss as a reflection of the team’s determination.
“It’s not an effort thing,” Mazzulla said. “There’s a ton of data that goes into it. There’s a ton of a particular mental training that you have to have for that. I think when people look at leads, they automatically think you are the sole reason why a team is up big when in reality the other team is just as much as culprit of why they’re down 22 as to why you’re up 22. So I think it’s a dual relationship to a lead.”
Detroit dropped a 76-point second half on Boston’s defense after shooting just 38.6 percent going into halftime. Tatum’s 1-for-10 shooting through the remaining 24 minutes of regulation, combined with a red-hot 52.4 percent Pistons shooting turnaround, doomed the Celtics for their first humbling defeat of the campaign.
“Our analytics team provided us with some great insight and perspective on things that you can try to combat in those moments,” Mazzulla revealed.
The conversation surrounding double-digit leads is one Mazzulla challenges. There’s the expectation to preserve or build on huge leads, which Mazzulla understands — to a degree — but doesn’t subscribe to.
“There’s a natural tendency to say, ‘We’re up 20, get it to 30,’ and I don’t think that’s realistic. I don’t think that’s possible,” Mazzulla said. “I think you have to work on winning the transitions of it. So if you’re up 20, analytically it’s really only a 15-point lead. So you have to know that. You’re really only up 15. You’re not really up 20 because of the variance of that game.”
MILWAUKEE — It is a vital item on the Milwaukee Brewers’ packing list for every road trip, right along with the bats and balls and uniforms and equipment, folded up and unfurled in the visiting clubhouse upon arrival.
See, the Brewers aren’t simply playing for Milwaukee. It is why they pack a banner with the state of Wisconsin, the Brewers logo and dozens of cities and towns and villages printed in the background.
From Ashwaubenon to Clam Lake, Fond du Lac to Wauzeka, the Brewers take a little piece of Wisconsin with them wherever they go.
And in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, Wisconsinites are returning the favor.
They fanned out from all four corners of the state with one destination in mind: American Family Field, where, perhaps even moreso than the Packers and Bucks, Wisconsin’s Team truly resides.
The support – which fueled a feverish market for tickets– has been noticed by the men playing for those fans.
“You can feel the excitement in the city for this series and this team and it’s been a big honor being able to go out and represent them,” outfielder and team captain Christian Yelich, a Brewer since 2017, tells USA TODAY Sports.
“It’s been great to see all the happiness this team has brought to the state and the community.”
In Game 1, that happiness was palpable, not unlike the smoke rising from the tailgates that make Brewers games a uniquely Midwestern experience.
Still on a Brewers honeymoon
They start showing up four and a half hours before gametime, in SUVs and minivans, sturdy trucks that look like they just got back from a hunting trip, even college kids in their beaters.
American Family Field is the center point of this circle that fans out throughout the Upper Midwest, drawing Brewers fans from each corner of Wisconsin, and even beyond.
Once they arrive at this 25-year-old stadium just west of Milwaukee, a bevy of vehicles take part in a tradition far more associated with the gridiron: Tailgating. Out come the grills, the bratwursts, the koozies stuffed with bottles of PBR and Miller High Life.
That’s how Rich and Patti Hall threw down before Game 1 – but not after a journey typical of the far-flung Brewers fan.
They made the five-hour drive from Hudson, which is just over the Mississippi River from Minnesota. But it’s still Wisconsin, and the Brewers are very much in their blood.
After all, their honeymoon was delayed in 1982 when Rich deferred it to attend Game 7 of the World Series in St. Louis, where Harvey’s Wallbangers met their unfortunate end in a 6-3 loss on Oct. 20.
Now, they make the long drive to partake in what can only be described as an intrinsic part of area behavior.
“This is Milwaukee,” says Rich Hall, standing outside his truck in the American Family lot. “I’ve been to every stadium except one in the United States, and this is cultural.
“The parking lot is filling up four and a half hours before the game. What does that tell you?”
It tells you that the Crew that grills together, stays together. Chris and Kurt Kessler are brothers who grew up in Cuba City, Wisconsin, a nearly three-hour drive from Milwaukee.
Now, they converge on American Family from Sheboygan and Portage, respectively. Kurt has a 1982 World Series button affixed to the side of his cap, which remains a (somewhat joking) bone of contention between the two.
“My brother didn’t take me,” says Chris.
Kurt insists the outcome against the Rays will be different than the unfortunate turn of events in St. Louis 44 years ago.
“I was there,” he says. “We were definitely the better team.”
Says Chris, needle always out: “He’s not bitter.”
They’re both ticketed for this Series, armed with a pack of bratwurst and cigars.
Roam the concourses and the parking lots, and it’s clear that while “Brewers Nation” may not be a thing, the pull of ‘Sconsin expats remains strong. Pat Grainger made a six-hour drive from Baraga, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula. She’s been going to Brewers games in 1972, with her husband.
Sure, maybe Baraga doesn’t qualify for the Brewers’ iconic clubhouse flag. But the players can feel the support, from all quarters.
“The experience has been awesome, just to kind of get a feel for how special this is for everyone, not just us,” says outfielder Garrett Mitchell, who like Yelich is a Southern California native.
Yelich has been a Brewer since 2018, now their captain and still their most recognizable face. The buzz is unavoidable, but within that is an undeniable love of city and state.
“I think people coming up to you saying they've been waiting their whole life for this series and for the team to be back at this point, it's pretty cool,” says Yelich. “It's been a really cool part of this run that we don't take lightly. We know we represent a city and a state.
It’s about time for the housewarming party, Dub Nation. The Warriors come home tonight after getting run off the floor 127-105 in LA, with Walker Kessler going 12-for-12 in his Lakers debut and Luka dropping 28 in three quarters. Chase Center should be the cure for that. But in 17 seasons with Steph Curry, the Warriors are just 8-9 in their first home game of the year, and the building has a habit of letting other teams have the party.
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors When: Friday, October 23, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT Where: Chase Center TV: NBC Sports Bay Area Radio: 95.7 The Game
Let’s do a quick recap of how home openers have treated the Warriors during the Curry-era.
2009: Rockets 108, Warriors 107
Steph’s first home game was also his first NBA game, and he posted 14 points, seven assists and four steals in a one-point loss. Oracle didn’t know it was watching the start of everything.
2010: Warriors 132, Rockets 128
Monta Ellis matched his career high with 46, and Curry added 25 and 11 assists. Keith Smart got a win in his first game as head coach.
2011: Clippers 105, Warriors 86
The lockout-delayed season opened on Christmas at Oracle, and Chris Paul’s Clippers debut ruined Mark Jackson’s. The Warriors led at halftime before a 34-point Clippers third quarter buried them.
2012: Grizzlies 104, Warriors 94
Tonight’s opponent has been here before. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley combined for 42 points to spoil the home opener, and Brandon Rush hurt his left knee on a first-quarter foul by Zach Randolph. It’s still the only time Memphis has visited for a Warriors home opener, and the Warriors are 0-1 in those games.
2013: Warriors 125, Lakers 94
Klay dropped a then career-high 38 in a franchise-record opening-night rout, and the Warriors shot 53.5 percent against a Lakers team without Kobe. This was one of the first signs that Klay was going to be a supreme problem for the league.
2014: Warriors 127, Lakers 104
Kerr’s first season opened in Sacramento, so the Lakers got the Oracle opener again and it went even worse for them. Klay, in his first game after signing his extension, broke his career high again with 41, and Curry added 31 points and 10 assists. Kobe scored 19 of his 28 in the third quarter to make it interesting for about 12 minutes. Then the Lakers collapsed in the fourth, and the 67-win season was off and running.
2015: Warriors 111, Pelicans 95
The first banner went up in a pregame show with fire and glow sticks, and then the MVP went to work. Curry scored 24 points in the first quarter alone and finished with 40 on 14-of-26 shooting. Anthony Davis went 4-of-20. Luke Walton was on the bench with Kerr out recovering from back surgery, but the team didn’t miss a beat.
2016: Spurs 129, Warriors 100
Kevin Durant’s Oracle debut was a 29-point embarrassment, with Kawhi scoring 35. The Warriors got outrebounded 54-35 and this was the game that pundits universally decried the KD addition. How wrong they would be.
2017: Rockets 122, Warriors 121
Ring night number two ended with a one-point loss to Houston. The Rockets were already telling everyone what kind of spring it would be. HOW WRONG THEY WOULD BE.
2018: Warriors 108, Thunder 100
The final season at Oracle opened with a third banner and 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds from Curry. Russell Westbrook didn’t play but it still was pretty funny watching Durant get ring night against his former OKC teammates.
2019: Clippers 141, Warriors 122
Chase Center’s first regular-season game started with the Warriors down 14-0 before they scored a point. Kawhi, who had also spoiled the last game at Oracle in the Finals, scored 21 in three quarters. Curry put up 23 but went 2-of-11 from three without the injured Klay Thompson.
D’Angelo Russell scored the Warriors’ first ever points at Chase in 2019.
The pandemic pushed the home opener to New Year’s Day, the Warriors’ first home game in 297 days. Oakland’s own Damian Lillard scored 34 and reached 15,000 career points.
2021: Warriors 115, Clippers 113
Fans were back in the building for a full home opener for the first time in two years, and Steph took the mic before tipoff to thank them. Then he went 9-for-9 in the first quarter for 25 points, matching his career high for a quarter. The Clippers clawed back to lead in the fourth. Curry hit a 31-footer and then a go-ahead three with 56.8 seconds left, finishing with 45 points on 8-of-13 from deep, and Draymond sealed it with a bucket in the final seconds. A title team announced itself that night.
2022: Warriors 123, Lakers 109
Banner four went up and Curry and LeBron traded 33 and 31. The Warriors handled the Lakers again, though LA got the last word in May.
2023: Suns 108, Warriors 104
The Warriors rallied from 15 down but couldn’t finish against Phoenix. Devin Booker scored 32, Curry had 27, and Draymond sat with an ankle sprain.
Aaron Gordon scored 50 and hit 10 threes, tying the NBA record for a season opener, and Denver still lost. Curry scored 17 in the final seven minutes of regulation, including 13 straight capped by a 34-footer to force overtime. He finished with 42, with 35 coming in the second half and OT. Jimmy Butler hit the three that put it away, and Steph did the “night night” after it. It snapped a two-year skid in home openers, and for one night Chase Center felt like Oracle.
Memphis already knows the way in
Add it up and Chase Center is 3-4 in home openers since it opened, and the Kerr-era Warriors are 6-6. Tonight, Memphis brings No. 3 pick Cam Boozer back to the only building where the Grizzlies have ever crashed a Warriors home opener. Brandin Podziemski has been upgraded to probable, which helps, but Charles Bassey is out and Butler, Moody and Porzingis are still in street clothes. The Warriors have spent 17 years learning that a home opener doesn’t guarantee a warm welcome, and tonight they’re hosting with a frontcourt held together by hope and athletic tape. If Memphis finds the door open again, the Warriors will be sitting at 0-2 and still waiting for the party to start.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 23: Jaime Jaquez Jr. #24 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyler Herro #11 high five during the game against the Chicago Bulls on October 23, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
For the first time since the 2015-16 season, the Milwaukee Bucks start the year 0-2 after dropping a (very) winnable home opener to the Chicago Bulls 132-125. Tyler Herro continued his strong start in a Bucks uniform with 34 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Seven Bulls scored in double figures, led by Norman Powell (25) and Caleb Wilson (21).
The new-look Bucks made a strong first impression on the Fiserv crowd against their I-94 rivals. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyler Herro got hot early, scoring five and four points each as Milwaukee jumped out to a 16-6 lead. However, the two young squads then got very sloppy, combining for seven turnovers, and neither team scored for a long while until Norman Powell hit an eight-foot bank shot. Still, the Bucks led by a lot at that point (26-13). Milwaukee added another triple from AJ Green and went into the second quarter up big, 32-17.
Chicago responded well out of the break, starting with a 10-4 run. As the Bulls crept back in, second-year guard Kasparas Jakučionis flashed some high-level offensive potential; he threw a great lob pass to Ware, drained a corner three, and then found a wide-open Ryan Rollins for another bomb. That stretch put the Bucks up 13, forcing Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter to call a timeout. And man, Chicago came back with a vengeance after the timeout, going on a ridiculous 21-7 run to take the lead, capped by a Leonard Miller triple; it was their first lead since they were up 2-0. Kyle Kuzma, of all people, helped right the ship for the home side, scoring five points in the final minute to put Milwaukee back in front at the half, up 62-61.
Tyler Herro carried his strong start into the second half, adding five more points and an assist on a three by Kuzma in the opening minutes. Both sides were cooking on offense: at one point, the Bucks shot 8/12 from three, while the Bulls hit 8/11. Both offenses kept humming with little resistance, but a nice pass from Jakučionis to Brayden Burries for three, followed by a hook shot from Ware, gave the Bucks a five-point lead with under three minutes left. The two divisional rivals largely kept pace for the rest of the third, but the Bucks closed poorly. After Jaquez hit a fadeaway jumper with eight seconds left, Milwaukee allowed Chicago to score at the buzzer as Jalen Smith slipped the pick and slammed it home. That final basket gave Milwaukee a razor-thin lead heading into he fourth, up 104-102.
The Bucks’ offense hit a wall in the fourth; five minutes in, they were just 2/10 from the field. That rut let the Bulls pull away, and they went up by eight after another three from Hield. However, hometown kid Tyler Herro refused to give in, going on an electric run to score 10 of Milwaukee’s next 12 points and put Milwaukee back up by one with just under four minutes remaining. The Bulls responded with two consecutive buckets to regain the lead, but Myles Turner cleaned up a Rollins miss on the offensive glass to put the Bucks back up 123-122. Then, in a controversial call, the officials called a blocking foul on a retreating Jakučionis when he appeared to be in legal guarding position. Wilson proceeded to hit both free throws with 1:16 left to give his team a one-point lead, and the Bucks overthought their final few possessions, losing a very winnable game.
Stat That Stood Out
In a close loss, missed free throws are often what do you in. The Bucks left 12 points at the line, going 14/26, while the Bulls went 26/28. That is rough.
Obscene Overreaction
Kasparas Jakučionis has already made the Bucks win the Giannis trade. Whenever the Bucks struggled on offense, Jakučionis settled things down and made crucial plays. Crucially, KJ wasn’t just scoring; he had five assists too! #ExtendKasparas
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets drives against Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Barclays Center on March 01, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t have asked for a worse way to lose their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. They were in complete control of the game in the first half, building a 29-point lead. Then they went away from everything that got them that lead in the second half, allowing the Sixers to come away with a 114-106 victory.
The Cavs will try to get the bitter taste of that defeat out of their mouths as they host the Brooklyn Nets for their home opener on Saturday night.
Brooklyn isn’t expected to compete for a playoff spot in a deep Eastern Conference. At the same time, they don’t have an incentive to tank, are led by a good coaching staff, and do have competent veterans in Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Even if the Nets aren’t a great team, they do have the ability to steal games if you take them lightly.
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MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 21: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers poses for a photo during the 2026 World Series photoshoot at American Family Field on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tampa Bay Rays (0-0) at Milwaukee Brewers (0-0)
Time/Place: 8:00 p.m. ET, American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Yandy Diaz – DH Jonathan Aranda – 1B Chandler Simpson – LF Junior Caminero – 3B Liam Hicks – C Jonny DeLuca – CF Victor Mesa – RF Ben Williamson – 2B Taylor Walls – SS
SP: Nick Martinez – RHP
Brewers lineup
Jackson Chourio – LF Jake Bauers – 1B Christian Yelich – DH William Contreras – C Brice Turang – 2B Garrett Mitchell – CF Cooper Pratt – SS Sal Frelick – RF David Hamilton – 3B
SP: Jacob Misiorowski – RHP
Broadcast info
Time: 8:00 PM EDT TV: FOX / FOX ONE, Fox Deportes Radio: ESPN Radio
