Manager Kevin Cash's Tampa Bay Rays ran into a brick wall in Milwaukee during Game 2 as they fell 5-4, falling behind 2-0 in the 2026 World Series after predictions that they would beat the Brewers came to light. Starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen had a rough outing for the Rays as he was chased after less than three innings, putting a huge strain on Cash's bullpen.

The Rays eventually ran out of steam as their pitchers were shelled in the later innings, causing fans to become frustrated in central Florida while Brewers fans danced in the aisles.

The World Series has been emotionally charged so far and mistakes have been made. While Cash and his staff would like to focus on the positives, blame must first be assigned for what took place, now that the Rays are down 2-0 heading back to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

Here are the three Rays most responsible for Saturday's October 24 loss.

Ray #1: Drew Rasmussen

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) looks on in the first inning in game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field.
Pablo Robles-Imagn Images

The pitching matchups put a lot of pressure on Rasmussen to deliver after Jacob Misiorowski nuked Tampa Bay in the first game but the Rays starter let his team down with a rough game that gave the Brewers confidence early.

Rasmussen gave up six hits in 3.2 innings along with two walks and three earned runs.

“He just didn't have the command,” Cash said about his struggling hurler as the Rays quickly squandered the 4-0 lead they handed their starting pitcher in the first inning.

Cash sympathized with his pitching staff prior to the game considering how nicked up they were, but the bottom line is Rasmussen and his fellow pitching staff members didn't get the job done and now the Rays are heading home with a 2-0 deficit to try and hack away at in Game 3 at ‘The Trop.'

Ray #2: Ian Seymour

Seymour was a big part of a bullpen that gave up two more runs to the Brewers, the last of which would ultimately spell doom for Cash's team.

Seymour went just 0.2 innings and ceded a hit and an earned run. His appearance was short but disastrous considering how tight the game was and how badly the Rays needed to steal a game from the red-hot Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The 27-year-old Seymour has an ERA of 4.70 for the Rays this postseason and he let his team down in a big moment.

He gave up a solo home run to Sal Frelick of the Brewers that had fans questioning Cash's decision to put him in again in a close game on X.

Ray #3: Tyler Wells

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Fans trolled Wells on X after he gave up what would prove to be the game-winning run for the Brewers that made it a 5-4 ballgame. He gave up a go-ahead single to Cooper Pratt in the bottom of the seventh inning which brought in Brice Turang to give Milwaukee the huge home victory.

Wells and the Rays' bullpen was an easy target, but they deserved the blame, along with Rasmussen, on a day when the Rays' starting lineup gave the pitching staff more than enough runs to work with in the first inning alone.

The hope now among Rays fans is that the jitters of playing on the road in a hostile environment are out of Cash's team's system, and brighter days are on the horizon in St. Pete. The Rays have plenty of hope left, but they don't have much room for error after a disappointing two-game set in Milwaukee that turned into a nightmare for the team's pitching staff.