Tampa Bay’s rested ace finally gets his World Series start — against the franchise that brought him to the majors.
Drew Rasmussen was supposed to start Game 1. Instead, per Reuters, the Tampa Bay Rays ace gets Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night in Milwaukee — rested, lined up against a rookie, and pitching against the organization where his major league career began. First pitch is 8:08 p.m. ET on Fox, per Reuters.
Where the Series Stands
Milwaukee leads 1-0 after a 3-2 win in Game 1 on Friday, per Reuters. Jacob Misiorowski got the win for the Milwaukee Brewers with five innings of one-run ball, per Reuters, and the finish was anything but clean: closer Trevor Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca with runners on second and third in the ninth, per Reuters, after a replay review overturned an apparent game-ending double play that would have ended it earlier.
That is the kind of loss that can linger — Tampa Bay had the tying and winning runs in scoring position in the ninth and came up empty. It is also exactly why the Rays will take a rested ace in Game 2 without a second thought.
The Case for Rasmussen
The numbers behind the extra day are loud. Per Reuters, Rasmussen is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three postseason starts, and he closed the regular season going 9-0 with a 1.86 ERA over his final 12 starts. He was originally slated for Game 1, per Reuters, before the rotation shifted — and his manager is not pretending the delay hurt anyone in a Rays uniform.
The extra day “plays a huge benefit” for Rasmussen and the Rays, manager Kevin Cash said, per Reuters.
Milwaukee counters with rookie Logan Henderson, per Reuters — a bold assignment on a World Series stage, and the clearest contrast of the night: Tampa Bay’s hottest, most rested starter against a first-year arm the Brewers are trusting with a 2-0 series lead within reach.
The Full-Circle Detail
Rasmussen broke into the majors with Milwaukee in 2020, per Reuters. Now he is trying to stop the Brewers from taking command of a World Series in their own building. Baseball writes these storylines itself sometimes; Saturday night is one of those times.
The stakes underneath are historic for both benches. Per Reuters, neither franchise has ever won a World Series, and Milwaukee’s only previous appearance was a seven-game loss in 1982. Tampa Bay is chasing the same first title — from the other dugout.
After Saturday, the series shifts south: Game 3 is Monday, Oct. 26 at Tropicana Field, per Reuters. Whether the Rays travel home tied 1-1 or down 0-2 likely comes down to whether Rasmussen’s October form travels with him.
The 247 Take — Flip a coin between the two storylines and both land Rays-side: a 1.29 postseason ERA on full rest is the best Game 2 card any road team could ask for after a one-run loss. If Rasmussen is himself for six innings, this series goes back to Florida even — and Milwaukee knows it, which is why Game 2 will feel like Game 7 by the seventh.
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Sources: Reuters
