Brewers hold on for Game 1 win, while Rays make some puzzling mistakes

Milwaukee Brewers fans waited four decades to watch their team play in the World Series and win a game in it.

The Brewers gave them a chance to celebrate a win two different times on Friday night by holding for a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The game ended with a crazy ninth inning that saw the Rays load the bases, hit into what they thought was a game-ending double play, watch as it was overturned via replay review because shortstop Cooper Pratt came off the bag too soon and then have Brewers closer Trevor Megill end it with a strikeout of Jonny Deluca. 

The story of Game 1 largely comes down to the Brewers pitching staff, catcher William Contreras and some baffling mistakes by the Rays on the base paths.

Brewers pitching staff, William Contreras shine in Game 1 win

Even though Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski continued to pitch at a level below what he did in the regular season, he was still good enough on Friday by going five innings, allowing just one run and still lighting up the radar gun in a way no other pitcher can. 

He did enough to leave the game with a 2-1 lead and turn the game over to the Brewers' dominant bullpen, which slammed the door shut over four innings, with the only run it allowed coming in the top of the ninth inning on the double play that was wiped out.

Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined to throw three innings in relief, striking out five Rays hitters and walking none. 

But while the pitchers were doing their thing, Contreras was making his own impact at the plate and in the field.

He finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk, while also driving in the second run of the game in the bottom of the first inning.

Defensively, he threw out two runners stealing to help keep the Rays running game in check. Those caught stealing were two of the biggest plays of the game, not only because they resulted in big outs, but also because they were some truly uncharacteristic mistakes from the Rays and some bad situational baseball. 

The first caught stealing was, by far, the most egregious of the two.

With the Rays trailing, 2-1, in the top of the fifth inning, Victor Mesa Jr. made the third out of the inning while trying to steal third base with Yandy Diaz, one of their best hitters, at the plate. It was a baffling decision where the potential reward did not outweigh the risks that came with it. Not only do you never want to make the third out of an inning at third base, doing so on a stolen base attempt with one of your best clutch hitters at the plate, in a one-run game in the World Series, is a stunning result.

It required a perfect throw from Contreras to get him, but that doesn't excuse the decision. 

The run was already in scoring position.