It Wasn't A Roll of the Dice, But Brewers' Abner Uribe Proves His NLCS Hiccup Was Just That

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If the Milwaukee Brewers are going to do the thing they are trying to do, they are going to need every ounce of the Abner Uribe who showed up in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday.

Uribe was a minor question mark entering the Brewers’ second World Series and first since 1982 due to his poor outing in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series. But after a week off between series, everyday Uribe was back in form in Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

And he will need to maintain that level of performance with the Brewers seeking the first championship in franchise history. Uribe pitched a scoreless 1⅓ innings in the Brewers’ 3-2 nail-biting victory over the Rays to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

There wasn’t great concern over Uribe entering Game 1, but you also wanted to make sure he was back on his game following his bout of wildness in the NLCS. If you recall, Uribe came on to begin the sixth inning of Game 3 against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, charged with holding a 1-0 lead while facing the heart of the order.

He immediately walked Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker before rebounding to strike out pinch-hitter Max Muncy. But his control was still shaky as he issued his third walk of the inning, giving a five-pitch free pass to superstar Shohei Ohtani. That loaded the bases for Will Smith, one of the heroes of the Dodgers’ Game 7 victory in last year’s World Series with his decisive 11th-inning homer to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4. Smith didn’t homer, but he still did damage, hitting a two-run double to put the Dodgers up 2-1.

Manager Pat Murphy had seen enough from one of his most trustworthy relievers, yanking Uribe in favor of left-hander DL Hall. Hall then picked up his teammate by striking out Enrique Hernandez and Tommy Edman, with the Brewers then putting up a three-spot in the top of the seventh and going on to a 6-2 victory.

Game 3 was Uribe’s seventh straight in the postseason, which may have been just a bit too much of a workland for the excitable reliever. Uribe didn’t pitch in the clinching Game 4 sweep of the Dodgers, so really had eight days off since his last game.

Again called in to begin the sixth inning of Game 1 vs. the Rays following ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski’s five innings, Uribe showed he was back on his game. Facing the top of the Rays’ lineup with the Brewers up 2-1, he induced Yandy Diaz to ground out to second, then Jonathan Aranda singled.

Thoughts had to be racing in Murphy’s head. With the pesky Chandler Simpson up next, Uribe battled the speedster for seven pitches before getting him to chase a 2-2 slider at 89.9 mph low and inside for a huge strikeout. Aranda was running on the play, with catcher William Contreras firing a strike to second to complete the strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play to end the inning.

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Uribe exploded with emotion, not only from the situation but also feeling redemption for his letdown in the NLCS. Uribe’s job wasn’t done, though. Murphy needed him to get another out. And a big out. Uribe came back for the top of the seventh to face Rays superstar Junior Caminero. It was to be his final batter as the Rays had left-handed hitters coming up after Caminero and left-hander Aaron Ashby was ready in the bullpen to take them down.

Two sinkers and a slider later, the Rays’ most dangerous hitter did an about-face and was headed back to the dugout after striking out swinging. Uribe’s day was done after 15 pitches and 12 strikes.

Uribe being back kept the Brewers’ back end of the bullpen aligned for Game 1. With Ashby’s ability to go multiple innings, he went 1⅔ innings to hand the ball to right-handed closer Trevor Megill. While Megill was a little shaky after pitching just 2⅓ innings in the NLCS, still notching two saves.

Not that Uribe needed another boost of confidence as his confidence is always oozing. But it set aside that final outing in the NLCS and erased any doubts about him moving forward.

Uribe has been an integral piece of the Brewers’ bullpen all season. Now, he has shut down the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series in a game the Brewers won.

Uribe is back, not that he really left. Now that Uribe is refreshed, Murphy knows his weapon is back at full strength and his three-headed monster is roaring and ready to terminate any game.

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Steve Drumwright grew up in Wisconsin and was forced out of youth baseball when he failed to make enough contact to play the sport he loves. He did make one memorable pitching appearance, summoned from right field in a blowout. Steve went on to a successful journalism career, beginning as a part-time high school sportswriter in small-town Wisconsin to becoming the No. 2 person in the newsroom in San Francisco. Steve enjoys telling the stories of other people and how sports is a terrific vehicle for telling those stories. He now lives in Southern California. Follow him on Bluesky.