Jacob Misiorowski brought the heat — literally — in Game 1 of the World Series. The 24-year-old Brewers starter threw a 103.5 mph pitch on Friday night, the fastest recorded pitch in World Series history, as Milwaukee beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 at American Family Field to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The previous mark of 103.2 mph was set by Aroldis Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 — though pitch speeds have only been officially recorded since 2008. Misiorowski, who led MLB with 252 strikeouts in the regular season, held the Rays to one run over five innings to become the youngest starter since 1997 to win a World Series opener.
Brewers Beat Rays 3-2 in World Series Game 1
“It was amazing — just to have the city behind me, it means the world, we couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Misiorowski. The sell-out crowd of 43,250 packed the stadium for only the Brewers’ second World Series appearance ever — and their first since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Designated hitter Christian Yelich also delivered, scoring one run and driving in another as Milwaukee built a 3-1 lead. The Rays added a run in the ninth and had a runner on third when the Brewers finally closed it out. “It feels great. The guys settled in right away and did a great job,” Yelich said. “We’ve still got a ways to go but nice to get that first one.”
World Series 2026: First Title for Either Franchise
This is only the second time in more than a century that neither World Series finalist has ever won the title. Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 for the National League pennant, while Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 to reach the Fall Classic for only the third time — losing in 2008 and 2020.
Rays manager Kevin Cash found a silver lining: “We came up a little bit short, but there’s some benefit maybe from a loss.” Game 2 stays in Milwaukee on Saturday before the series shifts to Florida for three games.
Jacob Misiorowski (Credits: BBC Sport)
Also Read: Brewers Survive Wild 9th Inning, Beat Rays 3-2 in World Series Game 1 and ‘That’s Who We Are’: Rays Won’t Ease Up on Basepaths After Game 1 World Series Miscues
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
