Milwaukee and Tampa Bay will meet in a World Series guaranteed to produce a first-time champion, beginning Friday evening.
The big picture: The Brewers and Rays are two of the five franchises that have never won the World Series. Milwaukee is returning for the first time since 1982, while Tampa Bay is making its third appearance after trips in 2008 and 2020.
- Milwaukee led the majors with a franchise-record 103 wins, then swept the two-time defending champion Dodgers in four NLCS games. Tampa Bay led the American League with 98 wins and beat Cleveland in six ALCS games.
- Game 1 starts Friday at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX One will carry every game of the best-of-seven series.
Zoom in: The Brewers earned home-field advantage with their 103-59 record, ahead of the Rays at 98-64. Games 1 and 2 are in Milwaukee, Games 3 through 5 shift to Tampa Bay, and the final two return to Milwaukee if needed.
The backstory: The clubs met once during the regular season, and Milwaukee won two of three while holding Tampa Bay to three runs or fewer in each game. The Brewers have leaned on Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers and a dominant bullpen; the Rays counter with Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta.
What's next: The schedule includes a possible Game 7 on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. A winner will leave four major league teams still waiting for their first championship.
Why it matters: Baseball is guaranteed a new champion after years of big-market postseason dominance. The matchup also puts two organizations known for maximizing smaller payrolls on the sport's biggest stage.
