MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers withstood a dramatic ninth-inning video review to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 1 of the World Series, capturing the franchise’s first Fall Classic victory in more than four decades.
Milwaukee appeared to have finished the game when an apparent double play was turned, but umpires reviewed the sequence and determined that shortstop Cooper Pratt pulled his foot off the second-base bag before catching a high throw from Brice Turang. The reversed call wiped out the final out and placed Tampa Bay runners on second and third base with two outs, Bleacher Report and dpa international reported.
Brewers closer Trevor Megill regrouped on the mound to protect the one-run lead. Megill evened the count at 2-2 with a called curveball before striking out Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca on another curveball in the dirt to end the contest.
“You got to think worst-case scenario there,” Megill told reporters, as reported by Bleacher Report. “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 and, zoomed in, didn’t look too good.”
Early offense and dominant pitching
The Brewers jumped out to a quick lead in the opening frame. An RBI triple from veteran outfielder Christian Yelich helped Milwaukee score two runs in the first inning, providing an advantage the team maintained throughout the night, dpa international reported.
On the mound, starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski earned the victory after limiting the Rays to one run over five innings. Misiorowski told Bleacher Report that pitching in the World Series was “everything I dreamed of” and praised the energy from the home crowd in Milwaukee.
The Brewers’ bullpen maintained control following Misiorowski’s departure. Relief pitchers yielded just one run and struck out six batters over four innings of work. The unit has registered a 1.41 ERA across 44 2/3 innings during the entire postseason, Bleacher Report reported.
Although Megill surrendered an RBI groundout to Liam Hicks — his first run allowed during the 2026 postseason and his first hit yielded since the National League Division Series — he preserved the win. During the opener, Milwaukee third baseman Joey Ortiz was forced to exit the game due to an injury, according to USA TODAY Sports.
Historic chase for both franchises
The victory marked Milwaukee’s first World Series win since Oct. 17, 1982, when the club competed in a seven-game Fall Classic against the St. Louis Cardinals, The Sporting News reported. MLB arrived in Milwaukee in 1970, and the Brewers have never won a World Series title.
Tampa Bay is also pursuing its first championship in team history. The Rays, who are making their third World Series appearance following runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2020, entered the matchup after pacing the American League in the regular season, according to The Sporting News.
Milwaukee has now won six consecutive postseason games and holds an 8-1 record this October. The Brewers will look to take a 2-0 series advantage when they host the Rays for Game 2 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
