MLB
Jeter, A-Rod and Ortiz Break Down Brewers’ World Series Game 1 Win
FOX’s Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz examine William Contreras’s defense, Milwaukee’s bullpen workload and the Rays’ Game 2 pitching decision after the Brewers’ 3-2 win.
“Everybody will focus on the throw, but it’s the footwork that makes him elite.” Alex Rodriguez’s explanation of William Contreras’s defense gave Milwaukee’s World Series opener a useful starting point: what happened before the ball reached the infielder.
Contreras helped the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 at American Family Field on October 23, 2026, for a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. In FOX Sports’ postgame discussion, Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz examined the catcher’s work, the Rays’ running decisions and how Milwaukee’s pitching plan might hold up beyond one night.
Game 1 scoring and team comparison
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | LOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 3 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
X means Milwaukee did not bat in the ninth. R: runs; H: hits; E: errors; LOB: runners left on base.
| Inning | Batter | Play | Scored | Running score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom 1 | Christian Yelich | Triple | Jackson Chourio | Milwaukee 1, Tampa Bay 0 |
| Bottom 1 | William Contreras | Single | Christian Yelich | Milwaukee 2, Tampa Bay 0 |
| Top 4 | Liam Hicks | Groundout | Jonathan Aranda | Milwaukee 2, Tampa Bay 1 |
| Bottom 7 | Jackson Chourio | Single | Cooper Pratt | Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 1 |
| Top 9 | Liam Hicks | Groundout | Jorge Mateo | Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 2 |
| Metric | Tampa Bay | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | 2 | 3 |
| Hits | 7 | 8 |
| Errors | 0 | 0 |
| Team left on base | 4 | 8 |
| At-bats | 31 | 30 |
| Plate appearances | 33 | 35 |
| Doubles | 1 | 1 |
| Triples | 0 | 1 |
| Home runs | 0 | 0 |
| Walks | 2 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 9 | 5 |
| Stolen bases | 2 | 1 |
| Caught stealing | 2 | 0 |
| Total bases | 8 | 11 |
| RISP | 0-for-6 | 2-for-8 |
RISP: hits and at-bats with runners in scoring position. Team LOB is the official team total, rather than the sum of each hitter’s individual LOB.
Three views of Contreras’s influence
Jeter: the catcher’s work includes calling the game
Jeter’s assessment went beyond Contreras’s two caught stealings. He emphasized the responsibility of guiding the pitching staff, work he felt could be overlooked beside the catcher’s visible offensive and defensive contributions. Contreras had delivered an RBI single in the first inning, then helped Milwaukee protect that early lead.
The complete line supports the range of contributions Jeter described: Contreras went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, won two automated ball-strike challenges and ended consecutive innings by throwing out Rays runners. The offense, receiving and throwing belonged to the same performance.
Derek Jeter: Contreras’s Work Behind the Plate
Ortiz: Mesa chose the wrong moment to try for third
Ortiz focused on the cost of Victor Mesa Jr.’s fifth-inning attempt to steal third. With two outs and Yandy Díaz batting, Mesa was already in scoring position. Contreras’s throw ended the inning with Díaz still at the plate and Tampa Bay trailing 2-1.
Ortiz questioned that particular risk against Milwaukee’s pitching and Contreras’s arm. His criticism concerned the situation, rather than a claim that Tampa Bay should abandon the running game. The distinction mattered later: the Rays successfully stole two bases on the same ninth-inning play to help build their final threat.
David Ortiz: The Risk of Trying for Third
A-Rod: watch the feet before the arm
Rodriguez identified the mechanism behind Contreras’s throwing. He drew attention to the catcher’s quick, explosive footwork and compared it with Iván Rodríguez’s, arguing that the arm followed the preparation of the lower body. The replay discussion gave a specific explanation for the impressive throw.
Contreras’s second caught stealing came in the sixth, when Jonathan Aranda ran on a full-count pitch to Chandler Simpson. Simpson struck out, and Contreras completed the inning-ending throw to second. Those were two separate chances to protect a one-run lead without allowing another batter to continue the inning.
Alex Rodriguez: Footwork Before Arm Strength
Jeter’s bullpen caution and Ortiz’s view of Misiorowski
Five innings worked in Game 1; Jeter wants longer starts ahead
Jeter praised the strength of Milwaukee’s bullpen while adding a condition for the rest of the series. He said some starters would need to supply six or seven innings as the series continued. His concern was repeated exposure, even with a relief group he rated highly: “You don’t want to overexpose that bullpen.”
The opener demonstrated why Milwaukee could win with five innings from Jacob Misiorowski. Abner Uribe recorded four outs and Aaron Ashby five, combining for three scoreless innings, one hit, no walks and five strikeouts. Trevor Megill handled the ninth. Jeter’s warning concerned sustaining that arrangement across the series.
Derek Jeter: Starter Length and Bullpen Exposure
Ortiz emphasizes location and a 78-pitch workload
Ortiz thought Misiorowski prioritized location over maximum velocity. He singled out the starter’s efficiency, pointing to 78 pitches over five innings as a workload that had not exhausted him. His assessment put the emphasis on getting through the start economically, alongside the quality of the pitches.
Misiorowski allowed one run on four hits, walked one and struck out three. The 78-pitch total included 56 strikes. Milwaukee needed 12 outs after his departure, and its four relief innings produced six strikeouts while allowing one run. The pitching record appears in the full box score below.
David Ortiz: Misiorowski’s Location and Efficiency
How Milwaukee’s lead survived the ninth
Christian Yelich’s RBI triple and Contreras’s RBI single gave Milwaukee two first-inning runs. Liam Hicks brought Tampa Bay within one with a fourth-inning groundout. Nick Martinez recovered from the opening inning to complete five innings without allowing another run. Jackson Chourio’s two-out single in the seventh restored Milwaukee’s two-run margin, scoring Cooper Pratt. The run was charged to Steven Matz, although Kevin Kelly allowed the hit.
The ninth reopened after Milwaukee thought it had finished the game. Aranda and Simpson singled, pinch runner Jorge Mateo and Simpson completed a double steal, and Junior Caminero walked to load the bases with one out. Hicks’s grounder initially produced a double-play ruling. Tampa Bay challenged both ends; replay overturned the force at second and upheld the out at first.
Mateo scored, leaving Simpson at third and Caminero at second with Milwaukee ahead 3-2 and two outs. Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca to finish it. Hicks received an RBI groundout, neither team was charged with an error, and Tampa Bay finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Game 1 Gamecast and play-by-play has the complete sequence; the first Game 1 recap covers the replay finish.
Cash on the running game; Murphy on Contreras and Megill
Rays manager Kevin Cash said in his postgame availability that Aranda’s sixth-inning attempt was not a hit-and-run. Cash trusted Simpson to put the 3-2 pitch in play. He also said Contreras’s throwing would not change Tampa Bay’s aggressive approach. Cash kept DeLuca for the final at-bat because he trusted the matchup and Milwaukee had left-hander DL Hall ready in the bullpen.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy named Contreras his player of the game in his released postgame comments, citing his catching, ball-strike challenges, hitting and handling of pitchers. Murphy praised Megill’s composure after the reversal. He thought replay officials probably reached the right decision, while acknowledging that he could not personally be certain.
A-Rod’s Game 2 assessment
Rodriguez supported Tampa Bay’s decision to hold Drew Rasmussen for Game 2. He framed the benefit of additional rest as a preference for two stronger starts over three less effective ones. His view of a potential 1-1 trip home depended on the Rays winning the next game; Milwaukee had already secured the opener.
Alex Rodriguez: Rasmussen’s Rest Before Game 2
Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, at 6 p.m. MDT at American Family Field. Rasmussen is Tampa Bay’s probable starter, with Logan Henderson listed for Milwaukee.
Complete Game 1 box score
Open both teams’ complete batting and pitching statistics
| Player | Role | Pos | PA | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | HBP | SB | CS | SH | SF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yandy Díaz | Starter | DH | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Aranda | Starter | 1B | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jorge Mateo | Substitute | PR | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chandler Simpson | Starter | LF | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Caminero | Starter | 3B | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Liam Hicks | Starter | C | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonny DeLuca | Starter | CF | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Victor Mesa Jr. | Starter | RF | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Williamson | Starter | 2B/SS | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Walls | Starter | SS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Vilade | Substitute | PH/2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | Role | Pos | PA | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | 2B | 3B | HR | HBP | SB | CS | SH | SF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Chourio | Starter | LF | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Bauers | Starter | 1B | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Yelich | Starter | DH | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| William Contreras | Starter | C | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brice Turang | Starter | 2B | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Mitchell | Starter | CF | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper Pratt | Starter | SS | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sal Frelick | Starter | RF | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gary Sánchez | Substitute | PH | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luis Lara | Substitute | RF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Hamilton | Starter | 3B | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joey Ortiz | Substitute | 3B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Batting rows include every participating batting-order player, including pinch-runners and defensive replacements with no plate appearance. Pitchers who did not bat are listed in the pitching tables only. Pos: position; DH: designated hitter; PH: pinch-hitter; PR: pinch-runner; C: catcher; 1B, 2B, 3B: first, second and third base; SS: shortstop; LF, CF, RF: left, center and right field. PA: plate appearances; AB: at-bats; R: runs; H: hits; RBI: runs batted in; BB: walks; SO: strikeouts; 2B, 3B and HR in statistical columns: doubles, triples and home runs; HBP: hit by pitch; SB: stolen bases; CS: caught stealing; SH: sacrifice bunts; SF: sacrifice flies.
| Pitcher | Role | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | P | S | BF | IR | IRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Martinez | Starter | 5.0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 73 | 52 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Steven Matz | Reliever | 1.2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Kelly | Reliever | 0.1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Garrett Cleavinger | Reliever | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Cole Sulser | Reliever | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Pitcher | Role | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | P | S | BF | IR | IRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Misiorowski | Starter | 5.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 78 | 56 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Abner Uribe | Reliever | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaron Ashby | Reliever | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Megill | Reliever | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
IP is baseball innings notation: 1.2 means one inning and two outs, or five outs. ER: earned runs; P: pitches; S: strikes; BF: batters faced; IR: inherited runners; IRS: inherited runners who scored. An inherited run remains charged to its responsible pitcher. Misiorowski earned the win, Martinez took the loss and Megill recorded the save.
Substitutions, fielding and unused players
- Tampa Bay: Jorge Mateo pinch-ran for Jonathan Aranda in the ninth; Ryan Vilade pinch-hit for Taylor Walls in the eighth.
- Milwaukee: Gary Sánchez pinch-hit for Sal Frelick in the eighth. Luis Lara entered in right field and Joey Ortiz replaced David Hamilton at third base for the ninth.
- William Contreras threw out Víctor Mesa Jr. attempting third base and Aranda attempting second. Mesa had an outfield assist on Hamilton at third. Neither team committed an error.
Tampa Bay Rays unused: Bench: Nick Fortes, Cedric Mullins, Richie Palacios. Pitchers: Bryan Baker, Cam Booser, Griffin Jax, Freddy Peralta, Drew Rasmussen, Ian Seymour, Tyler Wells.
Milwaukee Brewers unused: Bench: Andrew Vaughn. Pitchers: Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Brandon Woodruff.
Official game notes record a Misiorowski pitch-timer violation. Contreras won two automated ball-strike challenges, changing balls to strikes; Hicks’s challenge confirmed the ball call.
Source: MLB’s final Game 1 box score and official final game feed. Statistics are from this game, not season totals.
Sources and notes
- FOX Sports / MLB on FOX, official World Series Game 1 postgame recording supplied by publisher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J_51heh9AM. Official MLB final Game 1 feed, gamePk 849805, October 23, 2026. Official World Series postgame transcripts: Kevin Cash https://asaptext.com/orgs/worldseries/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/172363.html and Pat Murphy https://asaptext.com/orgs/worldseries/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/172364.html. Probable Game 2 starters and scheduled start verified against official MLB schedule.
