The Tampa Bay Rays came into Game 2 of the World Series down a game. Five batters into Game 2 on Saturday night, they had turned their mood around.
Liam Hicks gave the Rays a 4-0 lead in the first inning with a 411-foot, two-run homer off Logan Henderson at American Family Field. It was the first home run of the series.
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Henderson needed 35 pitches to get three outs.
The Brewers right-hander had been nearly untouchable at home, 8-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 12 career starts. The Rays, with a Game 2 they couldn’t afford to lose, didn’t care.
The Brewers opened the door for Tampa Bay with a mistake. Yandy Diaz hit a soft grounder to shortstop Cooper Pratt, who threw it away. Diaz ended up on second base. Chandler Simpson grounded a one-out single up the middle, and Diaz scored.
Then Junior Caminero went to work. He fell behind 0-2, took two balls and fouled off three pitches before grounding a changeup into left field for another run. It took nine pitches.
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Hicks needed just two pitches to double the Rays lead.
They needed it.
The Brewers answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning off Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen. William Contreras singled in Jackson Chourio and Garrett Mitchell’s single brought home Jake Bauers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liam Hicks, Rays jump Brewers immediately in World Series Game 2
