World Series Game 1: Brewers Host Rays in Milwaukee

Game one of the World Series, it is finally here in Milwaukee as we get ready for the Brewers at home to take on the Tampa Bay Rays. We've got plenty of college football coming up here tonight in just about an hour, some intriguing games and some intriguing lines to say the least, and we also have a full slate of NBA action, NHL heading into what should be a tremendous weekend in sports. And, Craig, the moment is here with the World Series Game 1. Feels kind of hard to believe, right, when this season started and you drove to Jupiter, Florida every day, hanging out, you know, getting it going, covering the Marlins. And now all of a sudden, here we are, Marlins are playing golf, you're stuck with me, and we get to watch the Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays play for a World Series title. and the one thing we know for sure here tonight Craig is that one of these teams will no longer be on the list of franchises who have never won a World Series before I'm actually kind of excited and looking forward to this game in this series here tonight I am too Joe and you know certainly I think that you're right if if we were to draw it up at the beginning of the season you never would have had this matchup I I think that uh you know Milwaukee at least was one of the top five teams in the National League to advance to the World Series. Certainly they were not, they didn't have short odds like L.A., and most people would have taken the Braves and maybe even the Phillies at the beginning of the season, so that's just three off the top of my head, and I'm going to guess the Cubs may have even had better odds to go to the World Series, and then the Brewers kind of slotted in, I think, after that, but as far as Tampa Bay was concerned, Joe, no, nobody could have possibly anticipated the Rays at the beginning of the season, not just making the playoffs, but winning the division and then getting to the World Series. But I think what changed as the season went on is our opinions changed of both of these teams. And I think it's fair to say that if you go back in July and you said Tampa Bay played Milwaukee in the World Series, I don't think anybody would have laughed at you based on the way that they played through the first four months of the season. And so here we are with Milwaukee having that home field advantage where they've been so good. It's the first World Series game in Milwaukee in 44 years. That's a really long time. That almost ages us, Joe, out of this thing. And I think it's going to be a wonderful atmosphere. We've talked about how much ticket prices are. It's the hottest ticket in that city in a really long time, probably since the NBA Finals, since Giannis and company ended up winning that thing, that championship. And so, yeah, I think we're in for a great series. I think we'll be in for an extended one. I don't anticipate this being quick, but Rays are going to probably have to beat Milwaukee in Milwaukee early. early to even make it a series let alone win the world series we know they're going to have to win in milwaukee to win the world series that seems like a pretty tough task based on what we've seen so here's what we know historically the winner of Game 1 of a best of seven has usually gone on to win the series 65 percent of the time, it's actually 64 percent in the World Series, so pretty much identical How important is Game 1 here tonight? Because I don't see Rasmussen's name as the starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Are you shocked that we don't have that matchup here tonight with Misuraca taking on Rasmussen? Yeah, no, I'm not shocked only because in having some of these conversations that you and I have had since we've started up the show again, is that we really don't know what's going inside that clubhouse in St. Petersburg. And so my speculation and speculation only, which is something that we'll never know, is that I am going to guess, Joe, that Kevin Cash and Drew Rasmussen had a conversation and Rasmussen probably not feeling 100% comfortable pitching tonight because they would have. So I would not say that he's hurt. I think they probably prefer him to go on a normal five-day rest period and give him that game tomorrow. And so that's why Nick Martinez is starting tonight. Now, again, that's not factual. That's just my speculation with it. But conversations are always had. The Rays, even though they've had some days off, had to get extended a little bit into the American League Championship Series by going six games. Rasmussen pitching tomorrow puts him on perfect rest where he's been perfect. So why change that? And if Tampa Bay can just win one game in the two-game set here in Milwaukee, I think they'll consider us a success. This is an uphill battle tonight for Nick Martinez. I give him a lot of credit for starting this game and going up against the Miz. but certainly there aren't a lot of scenarios outside of Milwaukee being a little sluggish to start that you see the Rays pulling an upset tonight. Tomorrow night does seem a little more plausible.