As the 2026 World Series shifts to Tampa on Monday night, the Rays face a must-win Game 3 being down 2–0 in the series. If they lose, they’ll face a deficit no team has ever overcome in the World Series, and the Brewers will have four chances to win one last game and sew up their first-ever title.
Tampa Bay will lean on former Brewer Freddy Peralta on the mound, and there could be no better choice for the assignment. The 30-year-old was named the MVP of the American League championship series after he allowed just one run in 12 innings spanning three games, all of which the Rays won. Will that pattern continue against his former team? Follow along with us as we provide commentary on the night’s proceedings.
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Will Laws has been leading Sports Illustrated’s baseball coverage since 2024 and has covered MLB since 2014. Prior to joining the SI staff in February 2020, he previously worked for Yahoo, Graphiq, MLB.com and the Raleigh News & Observer. His work also has appeared on Yahoo Sports, NBA.com and AOL. Laws has a bachelor’s in print and digital journalism with a minor in sports media studies from the University of Southern California.
Follow willlawsRyan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.
Follow rumorsandrantsTom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.