The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 at American Family Field on Friday, October 23, 2026, and lead the World Series 1-0. Neither club has ever won the title, so the series will crown a first-time champion whichever way it ends.
Milwaukee did its scoring early and then spent eight innings defending it. Christian Yelich tripled in the first inning to drive in a run, and William Contreras followed with a single that brought Yelich home for a 2-0 lead. Both hits came against Nick Martinez, the Rays' starter, who went five innings and allowed five hits and two earned runs while striking out five.
A 103.5 mph opening pitch
Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski began the game by throwing 103.5 mph to Yandy Díaz. MLB.com called it the fastest pitch thrown in a World Series since pitch tracking began, noting that only three pitchers had previously reached 102 mph in the event.
Misiorowski lasted five innings, giving up four hits, one earned run and one walk, with three strikeouts. The run charged to him came in the fourth, when Jonathan Aranda scored on a Liam Hicks groundout to cut the lead to 2-1.
Chourio's single, and a ninth inning that nearly turned
Jackson Chourio supplied the run that settled the game, driving in Cooper Pratt with a two-out single in the seventh for a 3-1 lead. It came from a hitter whose postseason line is thin: a .205 batting average and a .238 on-base percentage.
Tampa Bay came close to a different ending. In the ninth, against Trevor Megill, the Rays loaded the bases with one out and then won a replay challenge that wiped out what would have been a game-ending double play. Hicks grounded out to drive in a second run, making it 3-2, before Jonny DeLuca struck out to end the game.
The at-bats the Rays did not convert are the number that explains the night: they went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Aranda reached base in all four of his trips, going 3-for-3 with a walk, and Chourio and Contreras each had two hits for Milwaukee.
Game 2 on Saturday
The series stays in Milwaukee for Game 2 on Saturday, October 24, at 8 p.m. Eastern. Tampa Bay starts Drew Rasmussen, who has allowed three runs in 21 innings this postseason, against the Brewers' Logan Henderson, a rookie who has given up three earned runs over nine innings in two starts.
Reporting from MLB.com, ESPN and Bleacher Report.
