Jonathan Aranda Shines, but Rays Need More From Their Offense in World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays couldn't come away with a victory in Game 1 of the World Series, but one player certainly did everything he could to help the team.

Jonathan Aranda was one of Tampa Bay's few consistent offensive contributors during Friday's 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

And considering how much the rest of the lineup struggled, his performance deserves some recognition.

Aranda finished the contest going 3-for-3 at the plate and reached base in all four of his plate appearances.

He accounted for nearly half of Tampa Bay's seven hits. However, despite his impressive performance, the Rays couldn't find a way to turn those opportunities into enough runs.

And that's where I think Tampa Bay has a significant concern heading into Game 2. The Rays cannot expect Aranda, Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero to carry the offense throughout the entire World Series.

Especially against a Milwaukee pitching staff that has been outstanding throughout October.

Tampa Bay needs more production from the bottom half of its lineup.

Players like Liam Hicks, Jonny DeLuca and Victor Mesa Jr. have struggled to find consistency at the plate during the postseason.

And those issues became particularly noticeable during Friday's loss.

DeLuca and Hicks had an opportunity to extend the game in the ninth inning with runners in scoring position.

However, Hicks grounded into an almost double play, and DeLuca struck out against Brewers reliever Trevor Megill, ending Tampa Bay's comeback attempt.

Hicks also struggled in an important situation, nearly grounding into a game-ending double play before the call was overturned following a replay review.

Meanwhile, Mesa Jr. made a costly baserunning mistake that eliminated another potential scoring opportunity.

Those are the types of mistakes Tampa Bay cannot afford against Milwaukee.

And while the Rays have managed to overcome inconsistent offensive production throughout the postseason, I think the Brewers present a considerably more difficult challenge.

Milwaukee has the pitching depth to take advantage of struggling hitters.

And if Tampa Bay continues receiving limited production from the bottom half of its lineup, the Brewers will have an easier time navigating through important situations.

Aranda proved Friday that the Rays have players capable of producing against Milwaukee's pitching staff.

However, his performance also showed why Tampa Bay needs more from the rest of its offense.

The Rays have an opportunity to even the series Saturday with Drew Rasmussen on the mound.

But regardless of how well Rasmussen pitches, Tampa Bay needs its supporting cast to start delivering.

Especially if the organization hopes to win its first World Series championship.