World Series Game 3 Preview: Freddy Peralta Faces the Brewers He Pitched For Eight Seasons as Robert Gasser Tries to Push Milwaukee to 3-0

The World Series shifts to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Monday night, and the Tampa Bay Rays need a win. Milwaukee leads the series 2-0 after taking Game 1 3-2 and Game 2 5-4, and the Brewers send left-hander Robert Gasser to the mound for Game 3 against Freddy Peralta, the former Brewers ace who spent the first eight seasons of his career in Milwaukee before joining Tampa Bay and winning ALCS MVP. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Neither franchise has won a World Series. For Milwaukee, the first title in team history is two wins away. For Tampa Bay, Game 3 is close to a must-win.

The pitching matchup

Peralta has been the Rays' best pitcher this postseason. He is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 12 strikeouts in the playoffs, and he knows the Milwaukee lineup as well as anyone. That cuts both ways: he has watched many of these hitters for years, but they have also seen his arsenal in practice and in spring training.

Gasser has pitched effectively in a smaller role. He is 0-0 with a 1.00 ERA and six strikeouts in the postseason. A left-hander starting against a Tampa Bay lineup that relies heavily on contact and speed is a reasonable plan, but Gasser is unlikely to work deep, and Milwaukee will lean on its bullpen early.

How the first two games went

Both games were decided by one run, which shows how close this series has been despite the 2-0 margin. Game 2 was the more dramatic. The Rays jumped to a 4-0 first-inning lead on an RBI single by Chandler Simpson, another by Junior Caminero and a two-run home run by catcher Liam Hicks, then did not score again. Sal Frelick tied the game with a sixth-inning homer, and rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, whose error contributed to the early damage, put Milwaukee ahead with an RBI single in the seventh.

The Brewers' bullpen has been the story of the series. JoJo Romero, Dustin May, DL Hall, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined for six scoreless innings in Game 2, and Ashby has recorded the final outs in both games. That workload is the key variable for Game 3: Milwaukee's top relievers have worked on back-to-back nights, and Monday follows a travel day, which gives them some rest.

What Tampa Bay needs

The Rays have scored early and then stalled. They need sustained offense against a Milwaukee bullpen that has shut them down in the middle and late innings. Caminero and Simpson are the hitters who drive Tampa Bay's lineup, and getting them on base in front of the middle of the order is the formula.

Tropicana Field is a fixed-roof dome, so weather will not affect the game, so the conditions will be identical from the first pitch to the last.

Milwaukee's lineup

The Brewers have won with timely hitting rather than overwhelming offense. William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell both drove in runs in Game 2, Frelick has been a key contributor and Pratt has delivered in big moments despite his rookie mistakes in the field. Milwaukee's lineup is built on contact and situational hitting, which makes it well suited to pressuring a pitcher like Peralta, who relies on strikeouts and needs to keep runners off base.

The matchup also has personal history. Peralta faced the Brewers' hitters in countless practice sessions and spring training games over eight seasons, and both sides know each other well. That familiarity removes some of the surprise factor that usually helps pitchers in the postseason.

The betting angle

Peralta's postseason numbers make Tampa Bay a reasonable home pick in Game 3. The more interesting angle is the game total: both starters have pitched well, Milwaukee's bullpen has been dominant and the dome removes weather variables. The first two games produced totals of five and nine runs, a range that does not suggest high-scoring games.

The bigger series question is how much of Milwaukee's bullpen is available. If the Brewers' top relievers are rested enough to cover four or five innings again, Milwaukee is in a strong position to take a 3-0 lead. If Gasser exits early and the bullpen is stretched, the Rays have their best opening of the series.

For the model's view of Game 3, see the daily picks piece at /blog/mlb-picks-2026-10-26 and the MLB predictions page.

The fantasy angle for 2027

The World Series will not move redraft values on its own, but it is shaping several 2027 profiles. Pratt's postseason has established him as Milwaukee's everyday shortstop, Peralta is reinforcing his value as a top-tier starter, and Milwaukee's bullpen depth will make saves a crowded situation next spring. Dynasty managers should note those trends now.

What's next

Game 4 is also at Tropicana Field. A Milwaukee win Monday would give the Brewers a chance to clinch on the road, while a Tampa Bay win would make it 2-1 and turn the series into a much longer fight. Either way, the bullpen workloads from Game 3 will shape the pitching plans for the rest of the series, so watch how deep Gasser goes and which Milwaukee relievers are used to finish it.