Brewers Strike First in World Series Game 3, Lead Rays 2-0 in the Third Inning

The Milwaukee Brewers struck first in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night, scoring two runs in the third inning at Tropicana Field to lead the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 in a game still in progress, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's live coverage and the Sportradar live score record. Milwaukee leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 after winning Game 1, 3-2, and Game 2, 5-4, at home.

The third inning turned on four straight Brewers reaching base against Freddy Peralta with one out. Jackson Chourio singled and Jake Bauers walked, Christian Yelich drove home a run with a soft single, and William Contreras sent a ball to the opposite field that right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. mishandled off the bounce, allowing a second run to score. Contreras was thrown out trying to advance, Yelich took third, and Brice Turang grounded out to end the inning. Peralta, who spent his first eight seasons with Milwaukee before reaching Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, had thrown 54 pitches through three innings.

Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser matched him early. Gasser faced the minimum in the first inning — William Contreras threw out Chandler Simpson, the fastest man in baseball, stealing, after Simpson overslid the bag — and threw a five-pitch, 1-2-3 second inning, one of the most economical innings of the postseason. The Rays' best early moment was defensive: Simpson ran full speed into the left-field wall to rob Sal Frelick of extra bases in the second.

The stakes are plain. Milwaukee is two wins from the first World Series championship in franchise history, and Tampa Bay, playing its first World Series home game of the series, needs Game 3 to keep the series from reaching the brink. Game 4 is Tuesday at Tropicana Field at 7:08 p.m. CT. The final score and the game-night file will follow tonight within 45 minutes of the final out.