The Tampa Bay Rays fell behind early in Game 1 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, courtesy of a Christian Yelich triple and William Contreras single.

That 2-0 deficit was a sizable hole to fall into given how good the pitching staff is for the Brewers. Nick Martinez did what he could to keep his team in the game, not allowing another run the rest of the game.

The Rays did provide a late flurry and comeback attempt, but they fell just short, losing 3-2 . Now, they will be turning to their ace, Drew Rasmussen, to even up the series before heading back to Tropicana Field, where they have been dominant all season.

It was a surprising decision to some for manager Kevin Cash to go with Martinez in Game 1 instead of his ace, but getting Rasmussen another day of rest should pay dividends .…