Rays Must Fix Their Biggest Weakness Before It's Too Late Against Brewers

The Tampa Bay Rays couldn't get the job done in Game 1 of the World Series, falling 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

And while Milwaukee deserves credit for getting the victory, I think Tampa Bay has plenty of reasons to be frustrated with how this game played out. And it can't continue if they want a chance to bring home thier first-ever World Series title. 

Especially when you consider how many opportunities the Rays had to win, Tampa Bay finished the contest with seven hits but failed to record a hit in six opportunities with runners in scoring position.

It was a familiar problem for the Rays.

Throughout the regular season, Tampa Bay struggled at times to capitalize on scoring opportunities, particularly during its losing streaks.

And unfortunately, those issues returned at the worst possible time.

The frustrating part is that Tampa Bay actually did a decent job against Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski.

The Brewers' right-hander recorded just three strikeouts across five innings, giving the Rays opportunities to put the ball in play.

However, Tampa Bay couldn't take advantage.

And once Milwaukee turned the game over to its bullpen, things became considerably more difficult.

The Brewers have relied heavily on their relievers throughout October, and Game 1 showed exactly why that approach has been successful.

But I think the bigger concern for Tampa Bay is the lack of production from the bottom half of its lineup.

Jonny DeLuca, Liam Hicks, and several other players have struggled offensively throughout the postseason.

And those struggles became particularly noticeable when the Rays needed someone to deliver an important hit.

Tampa Bay had another opportunity in the ninth inning when it loaded the bases with one out.

However, Hicks nearly ended the game by grounding into a double play before a replay review overturned the call at second base.

That gave the Rays another opportunity.

Unfortunately, DeLuca struck out against Trevor Megill to end the contest.

And I think that final inning perfectly illustrated Tampa Bay's biggest problem.

The Rays had opportunities to win this game, but couldn't get the necessary production when it mattered. Meanwhile, Nick Martinez delivered a solid performance, allowing just two earned runs across five innings.

That should have been enough to give Tampa Bay a legitimate opportunity to win.

However, the offense simply didn't provide enough support.

The Rays still have plenty of baseball remaining, but they cannot afford to continue wasting scoring opportunities against a team as talented as Milwaukee.

Especially when their starting pitchers are doing enough to keep them competitive.