Milwaukee celebrates Brewers’ World Series return with Game 1 win

Milwaukee Brewers fans celebrated the team’s first World Series appearance in 44 years on Friday, October 23, gathering across Milwaukee as the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 1 at American Family Field. The win gave a city long deprived of a return to baseball’s championship series an opening-night result to celebrate.

ESPN’s Chuck Culpepper described cheers sweeping through a Friday night watch party at Catalano Square in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, even when a Brewers batter drew an eight-pitch walk. Fans also followed the game in bars and restaurants; at one Third Ward restaurant, a cook said staff had laptops streaming Game 1 in the kitchen.

How the Brewers won Game 1 against the Rays

Milwaukee scored twice in the first inning. Jackson Chourio reached base and scored on Christian Yelich’s RBI triple, and William Contreras followed with a run-scoring single, according to WI Sports Heroics. Tampa Bay cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning when Liam Hicks grounded out to bring home Jonathan Aranda.

Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run and four hits over five innings, striking out three and walking one. WI Sports Heroics reported that his first pitch, a 103.5 mph fastball to Yandy Díaz, was the fastest pitch tracked in World Series history. Milwaukee added an insurance run in the seventh; the Rays scored again in the ninth before Trevor Megill secured the 3-2 win with a save.

Yelich’s invitation to two World War II veterans

Yelich also invited World War II veterans Bill Wattleton, 98, and Sverre Vinje, 102, to Game 1, WI Sports Heroics reported, citing a post by the Major League Baseball Players Association. The veterans met Yelich’s mother, Alecia, and former Brewers All-Star Chris Capuano at American Family Field. They watched Yelich drive in the game’s first run and the Brewers finish the night with a win.