Brewers Take a 2-0 World Series Lead the Way They Have All October: From Behind

Another comeback, another win

Milwaukee now holds a 2-0 series lead after beating the Rays 5-4 on Saturday in Game 2. The shape of the win was familiar: Milwaukee trailed early, then erased the deficit, continuing a postseason defined by comebacks. m:…0059

Sal Frelick tied Game 2 with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning. Tampa Bay had built its lead on a four-run first inning, including a two-run home run by Liam Hicks, but the Rays did not score any runs after the first inning. m:…0059 m:…7343

The Brewers joined several historical teams as the only ones to overcome multiple four-run deficits in a single postseason. In the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, the Brewers became the first team in 11 years to win four games they trailed in a best-of-seven set, and they are the second team to win six postseason games in which they did not score first. m:…0059

The bullpen is the series so far

Tampa Bay's pitching edge dulled at the wrong time: Drew Rasmussen had his briefest and least effective start of the postseason in Game 2, and the Rays' bullpen depth has been tested as the series has worn on. m:…0059

Milwaukee's bullpen, by contrast, has been the series' most reliable force. Aaron Ashby has a streak of 15 2/3 scoreless innings to begin the postseason, Brewers relievers have a 1.24 ERA through the first 10 games of the postseason, and the Brewers are the first team since the save became a stat in 1969 to have eight saves in a single postseason. m:…0059 m:…9957

The individual form lines point the same way. Freddy Peralta has a 7-0 record and 0.89 ERA over his last 10 outings, and William Contreras is tied for the World Series hits lead with four hits through two games. m:…0059

The supporting cast added to the picture. William Contreras leads all MLB players with 15 hits in the current postseason, and Jackson Chourio became the third player under age 23 with multiple hits and multiple steals in a postseason game. m:…9957

Caminero vents, and the series moves

The frustration on the Tampa Bay side spilled into public view. Junior Caminero was caught by television cameras shouting at his teammates in the dugout, and afterward he cited defensive miscues as the primary reason for his frustration, saying: "We had to get outs. In that moment, we weren't doing our job" m:…7343

Caminero was blunt about what comes next, saying that winning the remaining games in the series is mandatory, and adding: "I already forgot about these last two days. The series now, in my mind, starts on Monday." Game 3 of the World Series is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with the Game 3 FAQ listing Freddy Peralta as the starting pitcher for Tampa Bay and Robert Gasser for Milwaukee. m:…7343 m:…9957

History is on Milwaukee's side but not decisively so: 80.7% of teams that take a 2-0 lead in the World Series have won the championship. That leaves a minority that let it slip — the number Tampa Bay is now chasing. m:…9957

What Game 3 holds

The Game 3 pitching matchup, as listed in the FAQ, pairs Freddy Peralta for Tampa Bay against Robert Gasser for Milwaukee. Gasser is 2-0 with a 1.51 ERA in eight appearances since August 26, while Peralta's recent run — 7-0 with an 0.89 ERA over his last 10 outings — is the form Tampa Bay is counting on. m:…9957

Roster notes frame the rest of the series: starter Shane McClanahan was ruled out for the postseason, while Brandon Woodruff was added to the World Series roster but did not appear in Games 1 or 2. Tampa Bay's path back runs through its depth, and through correcting the miscues Caminero called out. m:…9957