John Romano: Another soft night for the Rays' Big 3 means a quiet World Series exit

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 28, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Even before the first pitch, Game 5 looked bleak for the Rays.

Their bullpen was wiped out after a marathon win in Game 4, and Drew Rasmussen was making an unprecedented start on short rest.

Considering the Rays would not likely win a low-scoring affair, Tampa Bay’s best chance of staying alive in the 2026 World Series would depend on the offense.

Specifically, the top three hitters in the lineup.

Alas, it did not turn out that way.

Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero had another quiet night Wednesday as the Rays bowed out of the World Series in a 4-1 loss to the Brewers.

For the Series, Tampa Bay’s top three hitters went 11 for 57 (.193) with two RBIs and no home runs. Considering those three hitters finished first, fourth and eighth in the American League in hits this season with a combined 86 home runs, it was a dreadfully disappointing performance.

In five games, the Rays produced a grand total of 12 runs in the 2026 World Series.

They failed to score a run in 40 of the 48 innings they played.

Here’s a final look at some of the pitches that eventually decided the fifth, and final, game of the World Series.

Jacob Misiorowski, Pitch No. 1, fastball, 102 mph

As Nuke LaLoosh might have said in “Bull Durham,” Misiorowski announced his presence in the first inning. His first pitch to Diaz was a 102-mph fastball that the Rays DH took for strike one. It was the first of 12 consecutive fastballs over 100 mph to start the game.

Drew Rasmussen, Pitch No. 20, change-up 90 mph

The first inning went about as well as possible with Rasmussen starting a game on three days’ rest for the first time in his career. He started off with back-to-back strikeouts before getting Christian Yelich to hit a soft grounder. It all took 11 pitches. Rasmussen got a quick out to begin the second, but on his third pitch to Brice Turang, he left a 90-mph change-up in the heart of the plate. Turang lined a double to left field and came around to score on a Cooper Pratt single. Milwaukee was already up 1-0.

Misiorowski, Pitch No. 62, fastball, 100 mph

It was the fourth inning before the Rays got a runner in scoring position against Misiorowski. After Liam Hicks was hit by a pitch, Chandler Simpson dropped a two-out single to right field that Sal Frelick bobbled to put runners on second and third. A base hit from Ben Williamson, and the Rays would likely take the lead. Misiorowski started Williamson off with a fastball for a called strike one. Four fastballs later, Williamson hit a bouncer to third base for the third out.

Kevin Kelly, Pitch No. 13, changeup, 86 mph

Cognizant that Rasmussen was pitching on short rest, the Rays got him out of the game after four innings and 48 pitches. It would have been a reasonable move except Kelly did not hold up his end of the bargain. After retiring Frelick to lead off the fifth, Kelly gave up back-to-back singles to Pratt and Garrett Mitchell. The Rays brought the infield in against speedster David Hamilton, who promptly lined a Kelly change-up to right field for an RBI single. With a two-run lead, the Brewers were 91-12 in 2006. The Rays were doomed.

Misiorowski, Pitch No. 86, fastball, 98 mph

By the time he threw his final pitch of the night, Misiorowski’s velocity had dipped to 98 mph. Caminero drove it 345 feet to right field, but it was caught at the wall. Misiorowski ended up throwing 57 fastballs at an average of 101.1 mph.