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MLB · WORLD SERIES GAME 1 · Friday 23 October 2026 · American Family Field, Milwaukee

Brewers 3, Rays 2 (Milwaukee lead the series 1-0)

MILWAUKEE. The fireworks had already gone off. Trevor Megill was yelling, the Brewers were spilling out of the dugout, and a city that had waited 44 years for a World Series win thought it had one.

Then the Rays challenged. With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, Liam Hicks had chopped Megill's first pitch to Brice Turang, who spun and fed rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt for what looked like a 4-6-3 double play. Replay showed Pratt's right foot was just off second base when the ball reached his glove. Junior Caminero was safe, a run scored to make it 3-2, and Tampa Bay had the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second.

Megill had started throwing during the review to keep loose. Through the smoke from the early fireworks, he fell behind DeLuca 2-1, then threw back-to-back curveballs. The second one ended up in the dirt, DeLuca swung over it, and Milwaukee had its first World Series win since 1982. For real this time.

William Contreras decided this one on both sides of the ball. In the first inning, with Christian Yelich on third after an RBI triple, he hit a first-pitch Nick Martinez fastball 108.4 mph off Taylor Walls' glove to make it 2-0. That run held up as the winner.

Then he shut down the Rays' running game. Tampa Bay came into the Series 10 for 10 on steal attempts. Contreras threw out Victor Mesa Jr. trying to take third in the fifth and Jonathan Aranda at second on a full-count strikeout in the sixth. He is now hitting .394 (13 for 33) with three homers this postseason.

"If anybody doesn't notice the contributions of Contreras, he was the player of the game," Brewers manager Pat Murphy told USA Today.

Misiorowski set the tone before any of that. His first pitch of the night was clocked at 103.5 mph, and he gave up one run over five innings. Tampa Bay's lone run before the ninth came on a Hicks groundout in the fourth, and Jackson Chourio's RBI single in the seventh made it 3-1.

Neither franchise has ever won a title, so somebody's drought ends in the next week or so. Milwaukee just took the first step, and history leans their way: Game 1 winners have won 77 of 121 World Series.

The Rays will not change who they are. Kevin Cash said as much after the game. But running on Contreras cost them two outs in big spots, and going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position will not win many October games.

Game 2 comes less than 24 hours later. Watch how Tampa Bay approaches Contreras on the bases, and whether the Brewers' bullpen is fresh after Megill's long ninth. For our analysts' takes, follow DawgHouse Picks.

UP NEXT: Game 2 is tonight, Saturday 24 October, in Milwaukee. Drew Rasmussen (16 wins, 2.67 ERA, and a former Brewers draft pick) starts for Tampa Bay. The Series moves to Tampa Bay for Game 3 on Monday 26 October.

HOW TO WATCH 📺: Game 2 starts at 8:08 PM ET on FOX (stream on Fubo) in the US. In the UK it is on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max at 1:08 AM on Sunday.

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Was replay right to take the win away for five minutes? Let us know below.

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