10/25/2026 01:30:00
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10/25 01:29 CDT Drew Rasmusssen can't make it through 4th inning as Rays blow
4-0 lead in Game 2 loss to Brewers
Drew Rasmusssen can't make it through 4th inning as Rays blow 4-0 lead in Game
2 loss to Brewers
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) --- Tampa Bay Rays ace Drew Rasmussen had sailed through his
first three postseason starts while working at least six innings in each of
them.
He couldn't make it out of the fourth inning Saturday night against a Milwaukee
Brewers lineup that specializes in driving up pitch counts and grinding
starters into submission.
"They put together good at-bats," Rasmussen said after the Rays lost 5-4 to the
Brewers in Game 2 of the World Series. "Kudos to them. They fouled off some
really good pitches. They took some really quality pitchers. They just fought,
they scrapped and they just put pitches in play."
Tampa Bay's inability to protect an early 4-0 lead caused the Rays to fall
behind 2-0 in this World Series featuring two franchises seeking their first
championship. Rasmussen gave up three runs in 3 2/3 innings, his shortest start
since lasting just 2 1/3 innings in a 12-4 loss to the New York Yankees on July
9.
The Rays scored four runs in the first against Milwaukee rookie Logan
Henderson. That lead seemed pretty secure, considering Rasmussen entered the
World Series having allowed three runs in 21 playoff innings against the
Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.
Milwaukee's lineup proved tougher to solve.
"I thought early on my command wasn't very good," Rasmussen said. "I felt like
I was falling behind far too often to expect good results. And then from there,
they found themselves in some hitters' counts and were able to find holes."
Rasmussen also didn't get much help from his defense.
Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers opened the bottom of the first with consecutive
singles to put runners on the corners. After Christian Yelich struck out
swinging, William Contreras hit a high foul pop that went off the glove of
first baseman Jonathan Aranda as he positioned himself near the netting in
front of the stands.
Given new life, Contreras singled home Chourio. Garrett Mitchell added an RBI
single later in the inning to cut Milwaukee's deficit to 4-2.
"There's a lot of respect there," Mitchell said. "We know how great of a
pitcher he is. ... For us, it's chipping one at-bat after another, passing it
from one guy to the next, because it's not going to be done in one pitch or one
swing. It's going to be quality at-bat after quality at-bat and kind of just
trying to get his pitch count up."
Even when Rasmussen retired the side in order in the second, Milwaukee took
something out of him. Chourio ended that inning by grounding out on an 11-pitch
plate appearance.
In the fourth, Rasmussen walked Cooper Pratt, who scored from third when David
Hamilton's RBI grounder to first went through Aranda's legs for an error.
Rasmussen left after issuing a two-out walk to Bauers on his 89th pitch.
Tampa Bay still led 4-3 when Rasmussen left the game, but the Rays made too
many mistakes to stay in front.
Liam Hicks got thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on Victor
Mesa Jr.'s sixth-inning single to shallow left field. Rays reliever Ian Seymour
allowed Milwaukee to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth on a solo shot by
Sal Frelick, whose last regular-season homer had come on July 11. Yandy Daz,
who has gone 0 for 9 the last two games, ended this one by striking out to
strand the potential tying run at third.
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had
rallied to tie the game.
"Just trying to create some energy and get some life back into us," Caminero
said through an interpreter.
The Rays still have some life left in them, but they blew a golden opportunity
to even this series with a four-run lead and their ace on the mound. They
understand what's at stake as the series heads to Tampa Bay.
"Obviously, we're excited to head back home," said Rasmussen, who went 16-5
with a 2.67 ERA during the regular season. "I mean, it would be really nice to
have won today. Our offense, I would say they're pretty confident when they
spot our pitching staff a four-run lead, that we're going to go ahead and get
the job done."
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