Brewers Seek Record Eighth Win Against Rays
Milwaukee aims to extend a historic streak at Tropicana Field despite a 2-0 series deficit for Tampa Bay.
By Layla Fontaine ·
The Milwaukee Brewers hold a seven-game winning streak in the playoffs, a team record that stands as the longest by any club since the Texas Rangers won eight straight in 2023. The series resumes tonight at Tropicana Field, where the Rays host the Brewers for World Series Game 3. Tampa Bay trails 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Left-handed starter Freddy Peralta takes the mound for the Rays. He is a former Milwaukee right-hander who was traded to the Mets in January and subsequently flipped to Tampa Bay around the trade deadline. Peralta has not allowed more than one earned run in any outing since August 26. In the playoffs, he is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA across four appearances totaling 16.2 innings. He earned American League Championship Series MVP honors.
Robert Gasser, a left-hander, starts for Milwaukee. It is his first full campaign in the majors. He finished the season with a 3.87 ERA in 21 appearances. In two playoff outings, he has posted a 1.00 ERA over nine innings while allowing only six hits. The Brewers have won nine games in these playoffs, with seven of those victories coming as comeback wins. They are the fifth team in Major League Baseball history to overcome four-run deficits for wins in a single postseason, following the Phillies in 2022.
Tampa Bay blew a 4-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 on Saturday, losing 5-4. The Rays are batting .150 with runners in scoring position in the series. This contrasts with their .283 average during the regular season, which led the majors. Left fielder Chandler Simpson, who committed an error, noted that the team must play clean against a grinding opponent. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Rays as -120 favorites, with an over/under of 7 total runs.
The Brewers have outscored opponents 15-2 from the seventh inning on in these playoffs. A reliever has been credited with the victory in eight of Milwaukee's nine playoff wins, tying the 2015 Royals for the most such wins in a single postseason. The model projects Peralta to allow 2.2 earned runs in 5.1 innings. Gasser is projected to allow 1.9 earned runs in 5.4 innings. This will be the first World Series game at Tropicana Field since October 23, 2008.
