It's Game 5 at Tropicana Field, the night after a four-hour, 20-minute, 12-inning thriller kept the Rays alive. Milwaukee is one win from a title, and Tampa Bay is playing to make it "two more days." The starting pitchers are where this tilts. Jacob Misiorowski is on normal four days' rest, and Pat Murphy kept Misiorowski out of Game 4 relief to protect this start. Misiorowski already beat this lineup in Game 1, allowing 1 run over 5 innings. Drew Rasmussen is going on three days' rest for the first time since working as an opener in 2024. Four days ago, the Brewers chased Rasmussen after 3.2 innings, 89 pitches and 3 runs. The handedness favors Milwaukee too. Lefties hit .114 with a .378 OPS against Misiorowski this year, which is bad news for Aranda, Hicks, Simpson and switch-hitting Walls. Milwaukee's six left-handed bats get the softer side of Rasmussen's split: a .568 OPS by lefties against .510 by righties. The bats aren't close right now. The Rays carry a .601 OPS and score 3.54 runs per game this postseason. Caminero plays on a foot he aggravated last night. The bottom of the order is Williamson at 2 for 16, Vilade at 1 for 10 and Walls at 4 for 36 with 15 strikeouts. Milwaukee counters with Contreras at 18 for 47 with 3 homers, Chourio at 16 for 55, and Pratt coming off a 4-for-5 night with a homer. Why I believe tonight: this team has done it before. In the NLDS, the Brewers lost Game 3 in San Diego 4-3, then closed the series 3-1 the next night. A club that's 10-2 this postseason and swept the Dodgers doesn't crack over one blown save in the 12th. "It's supposed to test you" sounds like a team that took the punch. The risk is Misiorowski's leash. None of the last five starts went past 5.1 innings, Murphy says it could be short, and Ashby, Uribe, Hall, May and Senzatela all pitched last night. Megill threw just 5 pitches and Henderson has three days off to give length. Still, if Rasmussen surprises and goes deep, the Rays become live at +120 in their own dome. Milwaukee has the fresher starter, the better bats and a habit of answering losses. Brewers to finish it.
It's Game 5 at Tropicana Field, the night after a four-hour, 20-minute, 12-inning thriller kept the Rays alive. Milwaukee is one win from a title, and Tampa Bay is playing to make it "two more days."
The starting pitchers are where this tilts. Jacob Misiorowski is on normal four days' rest, and Pat Murphy kept Misiorowski out of Game 4 relief to protect this start. Misiorowski already beat this lineup in Game 1, allowing 1 run over 5 innings. Drew Rasmussen is going on three days' rest for the first time since working as an opener in 2024. Four days ago, the Brewers chased Rasmussen after 3.2 innings, 89 pitches and 3 runs.
The handedness favors Milwaukee too. Lefties hit .114 with a .378 OPS against Misiorowski this year, which is bad news for Aranda, Hicks, Simpson and switch-hitting Walls. Milwaukee's six left-handed bats get the softer side of Rasmussen's split: a .568 OPS by lefties against .510 by righties.
The bats aren't close right now. The Rays carry a .601 OPS and score 3.54 runs per game this postseason. Caminero plays on a foot he aggravated last night. The bottom of the order is Williamson at 2 for 16, Vilade at 1 for 10 and Walls at 4 for 36 with 15 strikeouts. Milwaukee counters with Contreras at 18 for 47 with 3 homers, Chourio at 16 for 55, and Pratt coming off a 4-for-5 night with a homer.
Why I believe tonight: this team has done it before. In the NLDS, the Brewers lost Game 3 in San Diego 4-3, then closed the series 3-1 the next night. A club that's 10-2 this postseason and swept the Dodgers doesn't crack over one blown save in the 12th. "It's supposed to test you" sounds like a team that took the punch.
The risk is Misiorowski's leash. None of the last five starts went past 5.1 innings, Murphy says it could be short, and Ashby, Uribe, Hall, May and Senzatela all pitched last night. Megill threw just 5 pitches and Henderson has three days off to give length. Still, if Rasmussen surprises and goes deep, the Rays become live at +120 in their own dome.
Milwaukee has the fresher starter, the better bats and a habit of answering losses. Brewers to finish it.
Brewers Moneyline