MILWAUKEE -- It took until the ninth inning of World Series Game 1, but for about the first time Friday evening, the Rays found themselves nursing some legitimate hope. Umpires had just overturned a potential game-ending double play. With the smoky haze of a premature firework launch still hanging over American Family Field, Brewers closer Trevor Megill stepped back on the mound and fell behind to Jonny DeLuca, two balls and a strike.
Facing a hitter’s count, Megill threw a nasty knuckle-curve near the inside corner to steal strike two. Then he doubled up on the pitch, throwing another curveball that dived beneath the zone. DeLuca flailed at it.
With that, the Brewers’ bullpen -- best in the National League all summer -- survived a scare in World Series Game 1 to close out a 3-2 win.
“They’ve been doing it all year,” Rays shortstop Taylor Walls said. “That’s kind of their strength there, is to try to get to the fifth or sixth, turn it over to those guys and hopefully they can close the door.”
In all but one of their nine playoff games, Milwaukee’s bullpen has done exactly that. Friday, given a pre-series opportunity to rest his relievers and line things up how he wanted, Brewers manager Pat Murphy followed a familiar formula. Upon removing starter Jacob Misiorowski after five innings, Murphy turned first to Abner Uribe, who recorded four outs, then to Aaron Ashby, who claimed five more. Finally, Murphy gave the ball to Megill, who retired Yandy Díaz before finding trouble with two singles, a double steal and a walk to load the bases.
The next batter, Liam Hicks, hit a grounder to the right side, where Brice Turang attempted to start a game-ending double play. Replays showed that Cooper Pratt’s foot left the second-base bag when he made the turn, however, allowing a run to score and the game to continue.
It was not the easiest situation for the closer to navigate. Standing on the mound as the replay review took place, Megill took a few deep breaths, asked a member of the umpiring crew what he was hearing and threw a couple of warmup pitches.
Then he struck out DeLuca to end the game.
“You’ve just got to stay ready,” Megill said. “You’ve got to plan for Plan B there and get ready to attack the next person. And that’s what we did.”
This sort of thing is not exactly new for the Brewers, who led the National League during the regular season with a 3.40 bullpen ERA. So far in the playoffs, Brewers relievers have allowed just nine runs (seven earned) in 44 2/3 innings, good for a 1.41 mark. Uribe, Ashby and Megill have combined for 28 1/3 of those innings and just three of the runs.
Friday, Uribe hit 100.3 mph with his sinker, which stood out even in a game that Misiorowski pitched. Murphy called it “the best I’ve seen him in a while -- really special.”
Following Uribe to the mound was Ashby, who retired five consecutive batters to run his scoreless streak to 19 innings, the past 14 of those coming in the playoffs. Megill then nailed down his fifth postseason save. He’s blown just one attempt since June 5.
That’s how things tend to go in Milwaukee. Until Friday, the Brewers had navigated the entire postseason without getting a win from their starters. Murphy’s trust in what Ashby called a “special” group of relievers was a primary reason why.
“There’s no hierarchy of seniority or anything,” Ashby said. “Everyone’s even. And I think that’s what makes us special.”
“It’s been like that for four years here,” added Megill.
In World Series Game 1, the only solace the Rays took was in the fact that they’ve now seen each of Milwaukee’s three best relievers, which could help them later in the series. The Brewers won’t worry about that just yet, however -- not until Tampa Bay proves it can crack the NL’s best bullpen in a meaningful way.
“It means a lot, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get there,” Megill said. “It’s just one step in the right direction.”