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.
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.
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
