Let's go...
We acquired Juan Soto as a 1-year rental last winter for one express purpose: to win a World Series. Soto had an MVP-caliber season leading us to 102 wins, helped get us to the World Series, and now he's got us 3 wins away after a great performance in Game 1 tonight at the Trop. Soto drilled a 2-run homer in the 1st to give the Rays a 3-1 lead which they wouldn't relinquish, and added an RBI single in the 5th to provide a little breathing room. It was a good thing as rookie John Swanda apparently had a case of the nerves getting the ball for Game 1 of the World Series as he walked the first three Phillies he faced. He settled down after that, giving up only one run on a fielder's choice before fanning the next two and ended up allowing only one hit in 5 innings (albeit with 6 walks in total). He put the first two on in the 6th with the score 4-1 but Christopher Gau induced a double play and ended the Phillies' last best chance tonight. Unfortunately though while we got Randy Arozarena back from injury tonight, we lost two more players. Alex Bregman, who's had a rough postseason but came through with an RBI double to tie the game ahead of Soto's homer, was hit by a pitch his next time up and suffered a fractured thumb, ending his season and most likely his Rays career. And then in the 9th rookie reliever Colby White tore his triceps and is also done for the season. Drew Rasmussen will get the start tomorrow as we hope to go to Philadelphia up 2-0.