ST. PETERSBURG -- It may not have been Jacob Misiorowski’s most dominant start of the season, lacking the trademark swing-and-miss that has made him the National League’s presumptive Cy Young Award favorite.
It also ended early, with a right calf cramp forcing Misiorowski to leave the mound in the sixth inning, an apparent recurrence of an issue that dogged him earlier this year.
Yet it may turn out to be his favorite, having placed the Brewers in position to celebrate the franchise's first World Series championship.
Making his second World Series start and the fourth in this postseason, Misiorowski turned in his sharpest effort of October, limiting the Rays to two hits, a walk and a hit batter in an 86-pitch effort.
Misiorowski still brought the heat, averaging 101.1 mph with his fastball, though he didn’t record a strikeout until the fourth inning -- the first time in his career that it has taken that long.
One day after Brewers manager Pat Murphy declined to use his ace in relief to protect a late one-run lead, “The Miz” delivered everything the Brewers needed for Game 5.
His biggest challenge came in the fourth inning, when Chandler Simpson singled and advanced to second on a Sal Frelick error, giving Tampa Bay runners at second and third with two outs.
Misiorowski retired Ben Williamson on a ground ball to third base, then set the Rays down in order during the fifth, punctuating his strikeout of Yandy Díaz with an emphatic fist pump.
He exited to a pair of dual standing ovations; one from the third-base side of the Trop, which has been filled by Brewers fans throughout all three games, and another from the sold-out watch party at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
During the cramping issue, the Brewers brought Misiorowski a beverage and he tossed one warm-up pitch before wincing, exiting in apparent discomfort. JoJo Romero relieved Misiorowski, finishing the sixth by inducing a Liam Hicks groundout.
Even before that episode, Misiorowski voiced frequent complaints about the Tropicana Field mound, with the grounds crew repeatedly drawn out to attend to an issue with his landing spot.
Overall, Misiorowski’s night wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough. Now it’s up to the Brewers to finish it, making it a great one.