Rays on Verge of Being Swept by Brewers After Ugly Game 3

The Tampa Bay Rays let a few opportunities slip through their fingers in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers to start the World Series.

Heading back to their home stadium, Tropicana Field, optimism was still high for a Rays team that had dominated in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately, that success didn’t carry over into Game 3, which was the worst performance for the Rays this season.

Tampa Bay got dismantled by the Brewers, who dominated every facet of the game in an embarrassing 10-1 blowout loss. What was arguably the Rays’ biggest edge entering the series, their starting pitching, came up short again.

Freddy Peralta, facing off against his former team, had gone 10 straight outings allowing one or fewer runs. He labored through 4.2 innings and was charged five earned runs on seven hits and three walks to go along with four strikeouts.

Rays get blown out in Game 3 by Brewers

Cam Booser, who has been the team’s best relief pitcher this postseason, not named Bryan Baker, imploded in relief of Peralta. He failed to record a single out, giving up four hits and four earned runs.

Cole Sulser gave up another run that inning in a disastrous eight-run frame by Milwaukee that took the home crowd out of the game and put them on route to taking a commanding 3-0 lead.

As has been too often this postseason, the Rays lineup was not able to generate any offense. They were dominated by starting pitcher Robert Gasser, who threw six shutout innings, allowing only one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.

The only run Tampa Bay scored came in the ninth inning when Yandy Diaz hit a double that knocked in Cedric Mullins. Mullins’s hit in the ninth inning was the only one recorded by the team that didn’t come off the bat of Diaz, who went 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot.

Facing a 3-0 deficit, it will be interesting to see how the Rays respond in Game 4. Will they show some heart, looking to claw back into the series one game at a time? There has only been one team to ever come back from a 3-0 deficit: the Boston Red Sox in 2004 against the New York Yankees.

Or will the Brewers be able to complete the sweep, which would be the 22nd in MLB history?

This has been a team that has shown grit and toughness all season, but after losing 10-1 in Game 3, it is fair to wonder how much fight they have left.