Yelich's First-Inning Triple Sets the Tone in MIL's 3-2 Win
Milwaukee did its damage early and held on late, beating Tampa Bay 3-2 on October 24. The Brewers needed every bit of that cushion — the Rays made it a one-run game in the ninth on a challenged and overturned call.
Milwaukee wasted no time. In the first inning, Yelich tripled to center to score Chourio, then Contreras singled to left to score Yelich — a two-run burst that swung the home win probability from 75% to 85% before Tampa Bay had even settled in. That early two-run lead looks like it was the spine of this entire game. Chourio went 2-4 with 1 RBI and a run scored; Contreras added 2-3 with 1 RBI. Milwaukee built its lead quietly and efficiently, and the Rays spent the rest of the night trying to claw back.
Tampa Bay chipped away. In the fourth, Hicks grounded out to first, but the groundout did its job — Aranda scored, and Caminero moved to third, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Aranda was the Rays' most reliable bat on the night, going a perfect 3-3 with a run scored. Chourio answered in the seventh, singling to right to score Pratt and push Milwaukee back to a two-run lead at 3-1. That felt like the dagger. It wasn't. In the ninth, with the game seemingly in hand, Hicks grounded out to second — but Mateo scored, Caminero moved to second, and Simpson advanced to third. The Rays challenged the call on the field, and it was overturned, making it a 3-2 game with the tying run 90 feet away. Milwaukee closed the door anyway.
On the mound, the story of the night appears to be Milwaukee's bullpen finishing what Misiorowski started. Misiorowski went 5.0 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, and striking out 3 — a serviceable outing that kept the Brewers in front. Then Ashby was dominant: 1.2 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 3 strikeouts. Uribe closed it out with 1.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, and 2 strikeouts. For Tampa Bay, Martinez was sharp in a losing effort — 5.0 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts — but the Rays' offense couldn't generate enough against Milwaukee's arms. Hicks went 0-4 with 2 RBI, which tells you how thin the margin was: his two runs came on groundouts, not hits. Simpson went 2-4 but was stranded on third to end it. Milwaukee wins 3-2.