World Series Game 1: Brewers Host Rays in Milwaukee

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Brewers Host Rays in Long-Awaited World Series Opener

Game 1 of the World Series is finally here, with the Milwaukee Brewers hosting the Tampa Bay Rays. The matchup headlines a busy sports weekend that also includes college football, a full slate of NBA action and NHL games.

Neither team was an obvious World Series pick at the beginning of the season. Milwaukee may have ranked among the top five National League contenders, but teams such as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia and possibly Chicago appeared to have better odds. Tampa Bay’s run was even harder to anticipate, as few expected the Rays to win their division, let alone reach the World Series.

Those perceptions changed as the season progressed. By July, a Tampa Bay-Milwaukee World Series matchup would not have seemed unreasonable based on how both teams played through the first four months.

Milwaukee now enters the series with home-field advantage in a ballpark where it has played extremely well. This is the first World Series game in Milwaukee in 44 years, creating a tremendous atmosphere and making it one of the city’s hottest tickets in a long time.

The series is expected to be competitive and potentially extended. Tampa Bay will likely need to win at least one of the opening two games in Milwaukee to put itself in a strong position, but that appears to be a difficult task based on the Brewers’ home performance.

Historically, the winner of Game 1 in a best-of-seven series has gone on to win about 65% of the time, with the figure sitting at 64% in the World Series.

Nick Martinez will start the opener for Tampa Bay rather than Rasmussen, while Misierowski takes the mound for Milwaukee. One possible explanation is that the Rays prefer to keep Rasmussen on his normal five-day rest schedule, although that is only speculation. Starting him in Game 2 would preserve the routine in which he has performed so well.

Martinez faces an uphill battle against the Miz. Outside of Milwaukee starting the game sluggishly, there do not appear to be many scenarios favoring a Tampa Bay upset in the opener. Game 2, with Rasmussen potentially pitching on regular rest, may offer the Rays a more plausible opportunity to earn a split in Milwaukee.