The Tampa Bay Rays are starting Nick Martinez in Game 1 of the World Series, meaning Drew Rasmussen and Freddy Peralta will start Games 2 and 3.
It's safe to assume Rasmussen will work on five days of rest for Game 2, and it will be Peralta starting at Tropicana Field for Game 3, working on six days of rest after making two starts and a relief outing in the American League Championship Series.
This actually may work out best for the Rays, even though their two best starters will be pushed back a day. If Peralta pitched in Game 2, he would be on four days of rest and would have to deal with a ton of emotion that the other pitchers may not have to.
It's a World Series game. The emotions will be high no matter what. However, for Peralta, pitching in Milwaukee comes with some added emotion. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Brewers and had nothing but great things to say about the city and organization when he met with reporters on Thursday.
Peralta told reporters that pitching in Milwaukee would not bother him and that he would be unaffected by the added emotions of pitching at American Family Field, a venue he spent his entire career trying to bring a World Series to.
Peralta's first outing at American Family Field not as a Brewer did not go so well. The Brewers tagged him for seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
The second reason that Peralta pitching in Game 3 may be ideal for the Rays is that all of his starts this postseason have come at home, and overall, he has pitched better at Tropicana Field than he has on the road with the Rays.
If Peralta starts Game 3, though, he would not just be clear of pitching in Milwaukee. If the series goes to Game 7, he would be lined up to start against the Brewers at American Family Field.
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