With their season on the line, the Tampa Bay Rays will rely on their ace to extend the World Series. The Rays named Drew Rasmussen their Game 5 starter against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night. Rasmussen will pitch on three days' rest for the first time this year.
Tampa Bay avoided a sweep with a 4-3 win in 12 innings on Tuesday night. After the dramatic victory, Rasmussen said he'd be ready to start Game 5. "I'm probably smoking hot, would be my guess," Rasmussen said, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo.
"I mean, we haven't talked yet. So, I'm sure they're going to kick around some ideas in there for a little bit, but I would assume I'm in there." Rasmussen anchored Tampa Bay's rotation with a 2.67 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in a career-high 172 innings this season. The two-time All-Star carried that dominance into the playoffs, allowing three runs in his first three starts.
The Rays could have used Rasmussen on full rest to begin the World Series, but Nick Martinez started Game 1 instead. Rasmussen followed with his shakiest outing in months, allowing six hits and three runs in 3.2 innings of a 5-4 loss to the Brewers. He'll need to rebound in Wednesday's elimination game.
Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters that Rasmussen was "100 percent on board" with pitching on short rest. Martinez is available from the bullpen, but Cash wouldn't disclose whether Rasmussen has a pitch limit. "I wouldn't tell you if I had that answer regardless," Cash said, per MLB.TV's Ryan Bass.
"Ras' is gonna take the ball and give us what he can give him." Meanwhile, the Brewers can secure their first World Series title in franchise history behind Jacob Misiorowski. The presumptive NL Cy Young Award favorite will pitch four days after allowing one run in a Game 1 win. Wednesday's Game 5 starts at 8 p.m.
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