Rays vs. Brewers Game Highlights (3-31-26) - MLB Highlights

Marquee matchup tonight. Brandon Woodruff gets the baseball for the Brewers, his first start of the season, but great to have him back on the mound. Brewers were 10-2 in his 12 starts a season ago. Yandy Diaz not only has a hit in every game so far, but he has 11 hits to lead all the baseball. And he struck him out. Contreras hangs on. And that is not an easy guy to strike out, Yandy Diaz. Struck out less than 100 times a season ago, And there's one away now for Jonathan Aranda. Skies it toward left-center field. That's got some carry. Lockridge will go to the mound, and that's gone as Lockridge went all the way to that warning track out there, looked up, and Aranda has hit one out the other way to left-center. And the Rays break out in front, playing long balls tonight in the first inning. That's a statement home run. And a fly ball to center. This is playable. Lockridge moving in and to his left, calling everybody off, makes the catch. Inning is over. Solo home run for the Rays. Shane McClanahan, he has not towed the slab since August 2nd, 2023, almost 1,000 days ago. I'm allowing myself to feel a little more joyous and, you know, kind of savor each moment that's out there and just allow myself to be a kid again. Oh, and that is strike three called. So a 1-2-3 first works out quite well for Shane McClanahan. Welcome back. That's ball four. McClanahan not happy with the location on that breaking ball. Brewers have their first base runner. Liner in the left. Will it stay up? It does, and is caught by Chandler Simpson. Really excellent jump by Chandler. He's been working very hard with Corey Dickerson on improving his reads and jumps, and that jump allowed him, with his speed, to get there. Three-two, and he lines a base hit the other way. The Rays put some great speed aboard to lead off the third. Runner takes off, and the throw is wide. It's a steal for Chandler Simpson. One-two. Got him. Perfect pitch at 95. 5K is for Woodruff. Jonathan Aranda, the only run of the game off his best. On the track with enough room. Brandon Woodruff works around the leadoff base hit. Swing and a miss. Strike three at the slider. A three-pitch strikeout of the very talented Turek. McClanahan is through three. Leadoff man is on again for Tampa Bay. Runner goes. Swing and a pop-up right side. Bowers in foul ground. Over the shoulder makes the catch. That's not easy. I would say that was a little Willie Mays, but not quite sure we're going to let it rise to that level. Don't think the comps are probably there on that one. Now Cedric Mullins. Got him. Sixth strikeout for Brandon Woodruff. He's allowed one run through the first four. Nick Fortes had the game when he hit the ninth yesterday. There's a shot high and deep into left field, and that baby is gone. Home run. Nick Fortes unloaded on that pitch, and the Rays make it a two-nothing game. Both runs coming on home runs. I'll tell you, he has swung the bat very well here in the opening days of the season. Well, think about some of the big hits in this series for him. This being one of them, obviously. But last night, two outs in the ninth inning. Getting on top of a heater and rifling that ball out for a double to deep right center field. So Nick Fortes, who got off to a really good start in spring training, has carried that over now. That's wide. A rare miss with the changeup, and it's a leadoff walk for Sanchez. He's the only guy to reach base against McClanahan. There's a base hit in the left. First one of the day for the Brewers. It belongs to Brandon Lockridge. First man in the scoring position. Now, that ball just kind of rolled into the zone. Obviously, Shane coming down towards the end of his outing. And he walked in there loaded for Bryce Turang. Second walk of the inning, third of the game, and here comes Kyle Snyder to chat with McClanahan. Yeah, starting to miss a little bit more in that strike zone and missing badly. Let's see if Bryce Turang can get the Brewers on the board here. And that's a base hit to right. One runs in. Lockridge coming home to tie the game. He will. Throw goes to second. They've got Turang in a rundown. Turang racing towards second base, and he's tagged out. As the tag was applied, the ball popped loose, but it was on the exchange. They will not count the run at home. And Pat Murphy is going to go out and talk with the second base umpire. And Milwaukee at second base. Turang is pointing. He's pointing at the other base runner. I should say the fielder. Yeah, that ball came out. I mean, there's no way he was taking it out for any reason other than he lost it. Yeah, that ball popped out. Now, the other question here, Rock, is do you allow the run to score from third base? The runner was coming down the line from third. Do you allow the continuation? Well, if the man in shape is second, you got to allow the run, right? The call on the field is overturned. McClanahan's going to be taken out of this ballgame. He had to take the field to be taken out of the game. Sulser's coming in. The Brewers have the lead in the fifth. That's a liner and a base hit. So Frehley in the center field. He's going to dig for second, and he is safe. That's some great hustle by Jake Frehley. He's now in scoring position. Fly ball right center. Back goes Frehlich. And Koenig puts up a zero. Sanchez! Way back! The second home run of the season for Gary Sanchez, and the Brewers lead it four to two. That was loud. Bowers. Oh, and that'll go to Williamson. Throws the first. It's wide. It's backed up by Fortes. That should be a base hit for Bowers. So the call from C.B. Buckner is that Jake Bowers missed first base and then was tagged out. Not that he made a move to second base. Right. And was tagged out. Not that he flat-out missed the bag. And I think that is a horrendous call. Where is C.B. Buckner looking? He's not even looking at it. Why would he even say that? ...review. He's safe. He calls overturn. Milwaukee retains... Runner goes again. Fly ball right center. Headed towards the gap, and it's in the gap and up the wall. Lockridge delivers again. It's five to two. Brewers now with five runs in the last two innings. Well, Lockridge takes that one to the opposite field. It fits middle in. Pulled those hands in, barrels it up, and Jake Bowers able to walk home. He was running on the pitch. Up the right side, that ball's going to stay fair into the corner and a chance to see Chandler run. Already at second, he does not break stride. Heads for third, and he is in there safely. Head first with a triple. His second hit tonight. Boy, fun to watch him. Need to get some times on that. That ball off the bat of Chandler. Got to get down the right field corner. That breaking ball just stays right out over the plate. He puts a good swing on it, sweeps it into the corner. Got him. There's a good sweeper from Anderson. He puts up another zero for this bullpen. So, Mitchell pinch hits. Mitchell was 0-4 yesterday with three strikeouts. Strike three called, and Mitchell will challenge. Just didn't clip the bottom part of the zone. Brewers strand a pair of runners. We go to the eighth, and it's after Uribe time in Milwaukee. Uribe, the pitch, missed down and away, and he walked him. So, a two-out walk to Caminero had him behind early, too, in the count. Fraley sends it into left center. That will drop a base hit. The Rays put two men on and get the potential tying run coming to the plate. Fly ball to right. Freelick towards the line. Freelick is there, and Andy Uribe gets out of the inning. Bowers, a fly ball to right. Fraley back, and it is gone. Insurance for the Brewers on Bowers' second of the year. Bowers got it back there. Fraley gave it a look, tried to tie him his jump, almost pulled it back. Lloyd Bower is able to just get enough on it to get it over the wall and out of here. And Jake Bowers, what a start to 2026. Johnny DeLuca, pinch hitting for Cedric Mullins. The numbers on Serapis so far. He's been pretty good, had a good spring training. Pop up into center, going to carry out to Lockridge. Moves to his right underneath of it, makes the catch. And DeLuca is out number one. Brewers trying to even this series at a game apiece. Chance to go for a series victory tomorrow afternoon. Here's a chopper right past Serapis. Couple of hops out to Terang, takes his time and tosses it to first, and retires Fortes. And the Rays are down to their last chance. Missed inside. Carson Williams gets a chance. A little chopper to Bowers, that should do it. They'll apply the tag on Williams, and the Brewers will be into the series with the rubber match coming up tomorrow. A 6-2 win for Milwaukee. You gotta love it, you know. Every time it seems like Commander Woodruff makes a start at American Family Field, the Brewers think of a win. He does get the win today.