Brewers Lead Rays 3-0 After Sweep
Milwaukee secured a 3-0 series advantage with a 10-1 victory on Monday, featuring a postseason-record eight-run fifth inning.
By Jonathan Ramirez ·
The Milwaukee Brewers hold a 3-0 lead in the World Series after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 on Monday night at Tropicana Field.
The team built its advantage through three straight victories. During the regular season, Milwaukee posted an MLB-high 103 wins. The club entered the postseason with a 10-1 record. The offensive style remained consistent, with the team recording only one home run in the series while outscoring Tampa Bay 18-7.
The decisive moment arrived in the fifth inning against pitcher Freddy Peralta. With the bases loaded and two outs, Brice Turang singled to score two runs. The Brewers subsequently recorded seven consecutive two-out hits, a new postseason record. They scored eight runs in that frame without a home run. Rookie left-hander Robert Gasser limited the Rays to one hit over six shutout innings. He lowered his postseason ERA to 0.60 and became the first left-hander to face the minimum over at least six World Series innings since Sandy Koufax in 1965. Brandon Woodruff retired the final three batters to close the game.
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night. Milwaukee seeks to become the first team since 1985 to sweep both the divisional and championship series. The 1976 Cincinnati Reds remain the only previous franchise to achieve that feat. In the series, 25 teams have taken a 3-0 lead in the World Series, and all have won the championship. Twenty-one of those series ended in a four-game sweep.
Manager Pat Murphy noted that the Rays remain a capable opponent in the best-of-seven format. Captain Christian Yelich credited Turang for initiating the rally. Hitting coach Dan Vogelbach described the players as fighters who never stop competing. Outfielder Sal Frelick said the team will treat the next contest with the intensity of a Game 7. Third baseman Junior Caminero acknowledged through an interpreter that Milwaukee is currently playing better.
Jackson Chourio collected four hits, while William Contreras added three to reach 18 total hits in the playoffs, a franchise record. The Brewers have waited 56 years for a world championship. The Rays played their first home World Series game since 2008. Woodruff, 33, made his first appearance since July 4 after a shoulder injury.
