Can the Tampa Bay Rays Rally Against the Milwaukee Brewers?

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Can Tampa Bay Extend the Series One Game at a Time?

Tampa Bay has a daunting task after falling behind Milwaukee 3-0. Winning four straight against one of baseball’s hottest teams may seem unlikely, but the comeback can be framed one game at a time.

Rather than trying to convince the clubhouse that it will win four consecutive games, the immediate message would be to avoid the embarrassment of being swept. If Tampa Bay wins tonight, the next motivation is preventing Milwaukee from celebrating on its home field. Win again, and the conversation can shift toward previous comebacks and the belief that anything can happen in Game 7.

Tampa Bay has been one of the American League’s best home teams, so winning the remaining games in Saint Petersburg is possible. The larger concern is returning to Milwaukee, where the Brewers would have another opportunity to close out the series.

From a betting perspective, backing Tampa Bay comes with obvious risk. Milwaukee has dominated the series, including a convincing win against Tampa Bay at home. Anyone betting on the Rays should understand the situation rather than describing another loss as a surprising bad beat.

The strongest argument for Tampa Bay may be that almost nobody is giving the team a chance. That makes the Rays a classic opposite pick against overwhelming public sentiment. Griffin Jackson is scheduled to pitch for Tampa Bay after going 8-10 with a 3.53 ERA. He has not pitched in 12 days and allowed three runs in four innings against Cleveland in his previous appearance.

Milwaukee’s 3-0 advantage also gives it flexibility. Dustin May can pitch with the Brewers holding a comfortable series lead, while Brandon Woodruff worked the final inning of the previous game after saying he would open the next one. Milwaukee also avoided using Uribe, McGill and Ashby, showing how many options are available with the series firmly in its control.