How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
Perhaps the most intriguing question in sports is ... "what if?"
Fans love to second-guess managers' and coaches' decisions. And that's exactly what we have in USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series. Playing these games beforehand, we don't always have the benefit of knowing what's going through the minds of skippers Kevin Cash and Pat Murphy.
In this instance, is Cash making a mistake by not putting his best pitchers at the front of the rotation?
In our
version of reality, Drew Rasmussen pitched the Tampa Bay Rays to victory in Game 1 and Freddy Peralta took the mound for Game 2 in Milwaukee. Both decisions look pretty smart in hindsight as the Rays stymied the Brewers' bats once again in a 5-2 Rays win.
Here's how they took a 2-0 lead in our Sim Series:
Rays vs Brewers World Series Game 2 simulation
The virtual version of Peralta didn't have any reason to be jittery as he returned to the ballpark he called home for his first eight major league seasons. But maybe he was ...
After the Rays got on the board first with a 439-foot leadoff homer from Yandy Diaz, Peralta gave the lead right back − and more. After giving up a single to Jackson Chourio, Peralta served up a letter-high fastball that Brewers second baseman Brice Turang yanked down the right field line for a two-run homer.
But with that out of the way, Peralta settled down and kept Milwaukee from doing anything else in his six innings of work.
Meanwhile, the Rays' bats went to work on Brewers starter Logan Henderson. In the second, Victor Mesa Jr. reached on a dribbler that Henderson threw away for a two-base error. A two-out single from Game 1 hero Jonny DeLuca brought Mesa home to tie things at 2.
In the bottom of the fourth, Diaz put the Rays on top with an RBI single. Richie Palacios added a solo homer off Aaron Ashby in the sixth to give the Rays a 4-2 lead.
The Brewers had two golden opportunities to get back in the game, loading the bases in the sixth before Peralta retired Cooper Pratt and Garrett Mitchell on harmless fly balls. After lefty Cam Booser came on for the Rays in the seventh, No. 9 hitter David Hamilton reached on a bunt single with one out and the top of the order coming up.
Chourio crushed a pitch to deep center field for a potential go-ahead two-run homer, but it died at the warning track into DeLuca's glove. Booser retired lefties Turang and Jake Bauers to end the threat.
An RBI double from DeLuca made it 5-2 in the top of the eighth, and Bryan Baker came on for a six-out save to seal the deal.
BOX SCORE: Rays 5, Brewers 2
FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Peralta, bullpen keep Brewers bats silent
What to watch in (the real) Game 2
▶ Pitching changes. When Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to start Nick Martinez in Game 1, it pushed Peralta back to the scheduled starter in Game 3. How would Peralta have done pitching in Milwaukee? We could find out for real in Game 7 ...
In any event, the veteran was outstanding in his six innings here, working out of trouble on several occasions − especially the bases-loaded, one-out jam in the sixth.
▶ Clutch hitting tips scales. With two excellent pitching staffs in the series, there won't be too many scoring opportunities, so the team that capitalizes best in those situations is likely to win.
The Rays got two-out RBI hits from Diaz in the fourth to go ahead and from DeLuca in the eighth to pad their lead.
Meanwhile, the Brewers went 2-for-11 with two outs and runners in scoring position for the game, but neither of those hits plated a run.
▶ Big-time bullpen. As they did in the Sim Series opener, the Rays followed their pitching plan to perfection. Peralta provided six strong innings before he had to leave with some shoulder stiffness. (He should be fine to take his next turn in the rotation.)
Cam Booser (.123/.157/.231 vs. left-handed batters in 2026) once again kept the Brewers scoreless, but gave way to Baker in the eighth when righty slugger Andrew Vaughn pinch-hit for Christian Yelich. No worries! Baker (1.44 ERA, 41-for-44 in save chances) retired all six batters he faced to earn his second consecutive save.
The question for the Rays later in the series: Who's going to get the Brewers' lefty hitters out if the starters don't pitch into the seventh inning − as Rasmussen and now Peralta have done?
Meanwhile, the Brewers have yet to use their closer, Trevor Megill, in this series.
▶ Another injury. After the Brewers had third baseman Joey Ortiz exit due to injury in Game 1, the Rays lost starting catcher Liam Hicks for five days when he was hit by a foul tip in the bottom of the fifth inning in Game 2. Backup Nick Fortes isn't as good offensively or defensively, so the Rays will have to accept the downgrade until Hicks can return if and when the series goes back to Milwaukee for Game 6.
Previous 2026 Sim Series results
Game 1: Rays 3, Brewers 0
Simulate your own World Series. Get a FREE one-month subscription to Dynasty League Baseball online by going to DynastyLeagueBaseball.com, selecting the monthly option and entering code USA2 at checkout.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Simulated World Series 2026: Rays rise to the occasion in Game 2 vs. Brewers
