The Brewers’ starters haven’t reached the sixth in October. The Rays could make that matter
Milwaukee brings a franchise-record 103 wins but a bullpen-heavy October into Friday’s opener against a 98-win Tampa Bay team whose starters have gone deeper, with both clubs chasing a first championship.
Brewers vs. Rays World Series preview
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The sixth inning is the question
The World Series opens Friday at American Family Field: Milwaukee set a franchise record with 103 wins, and Tampa Bay finished with 98. mlb +1 But the Brewers arrive after a postseason in which none of their starters has recorded an out beyond the fifth inning. nytimes That has not cost them yet: Milwaukee’s bullpen has a 1.33 ERA in October, and three key relievers—Aaron Ashby, DL Hall and Trevor Megill—have combined for 20⅓ scoreless innings. nytimes
Tampa Bay offers a demanding counter. Rays starters averaged nearly six innings per start in the American League Championship Series. Freddy Peralta delivered one run across 12 innings in the ALCS, earning MVP honors, after appearing as both starter and reliever. If the series runs long, the contrast between the Rays’ starting length and Milwaukee’s bullpen reliance could become decisive. espn +1
Two franchises, one first
Milwaukee beat San Diego in the Division Series, then swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Its first championship remains elusive: the club last reached the World Series in 1982, where it lost to St. Louis in seven games. mlb
Tampa Bay, with 98 wins, needed six games to eliminate Cleveland, closing with three straight victories and a 7-3 clincher Monday. Junior Caminero’s two-run homer in the seventh and Yandy Díaz’s shot in the eighth sealed the pennant. It is the Rays’ third World Series trip after losses in 2008 and 2020. Either club would win its first title. apnews +1
The Rays’ return to the Trop
The Rays’ return to the final follows a disrupted home stretch. After Hurricane Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field in October 2024, Tampa Bay played its 2025 home schedule across the bay at the Yankees’ spring-training complex, then returned to the renovated dome for this season. nbcnews
The club paired that recovery with a 98-win season on a $90.5 million opening payroll, ranked 26th in the majors, using pitching, defense and a lineup built to find different ways to score rather than relying on power, AP reported. apnews Milwaukee hosts the first two games Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. ET; the series moves to St. Petersburg for Game 3 Monday. The home-field edge belongs to the Brewers because of their 103 wins. The first test is whether Tampa’s starters can make Milwaukee’s relief corps cover even more outs. mlb +1