The Tampa Bay Rays came into the World Series with the confidence that they could win the World Series. It appears that Kevin Cash's team has been fooling themselves. They had opportunities to win both games in Milwaukee against the streaking Brewers, and they came up a run short in both games.
While 3-2 and 5-4 losses seem close and that the games could have gone either way, that was really not the case. The Rays have been making multiple mistakes on the basepaths and in the field while largely struggling at the plate. The Brewers are making no such mistakes. They are playing aggressive and winning baseball, and their confidence is off the charts.
That was the case even before the start of Game 1, because the National League champions came into the World Series having swept the two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. If they were able to take apart a team of All-Stars that includes Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, there was nothing that could stand in the way of the Brewers.
Brewers are hungry to prove something in every game
That is certainly the case through the first two games of the World Series. It's one thing to hang on to the lead and earn the victory in the opener. It's quite another to fall behind by a 4-0 margin in the top of the first inning and not bat an eye. There was never a moment in Game 2 when the Brewers didn't know that they could come back and win that game. That's just what happened.
Left-handed Sal Frelick hit a rare home run off left-handed pitcher Ian Seymour to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Brewers inevitably picked up the go-ahead run in the seventh on shortstop Cooper Pratt's base hit. Their impervious bullpen did the rest. The Rays had multiple chances to add to their four runs, but relievers like Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby were not about to let that happen.
Tropicana Dome not likely to be an impediment
The Rays may be able to give the Brewers a good battle in either the third or fourth game, but as the game moves into the late innings, the Brewers will deliver the big hit, the big play or the shutdown pitching.
Again, it goes back to the Dodgers series. They closed out that team by winning two games in Dodger Stadium, and they will win two games at the Tropicana Dome and take down the Rays.
Article Continues BelowThe Brewers are sending unheralded Robert Gasser to the mound in Game 3against Freddy Peralta, the former Brewer. Gasser may give manager Pat Murphy just a few innings, but that will be enough because his bullpen will keep Milwaukee in the game.
While the Milwaukee hurlers do their part, look for Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and the rest of the crew to deliver the clutch hits. The Rays may very well break out on top in this game as they did in Game 2, but the Brewers will not flinch.
They demonstrate their hunger with every at bat. They will bring the franchise its first World Series title and they won't waste any time in doing it. The four-game sweep will give the city of Milwaukee its first World Series title since 1957, when the Milwaukee Braves defeated the New York Yankees in 7 games.
The celebration will be epic when this Team of Destiny completes its mission.