With their season on the line for a second consecutive night, the Tampa Bay Rays named right-hander Drew Rasmussen as their starter for Game 5 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Rasmussen, 31, returns to the mound after throwing 89 pitches over 3 2/3 innings while allowing three runs in a 5-4 loss in Game 2 at Milwaukee.
Right-hander Nick Martinez had been in line to start Game 5 but he was needed to pitch two innings in Tuesday’s 4-3 must-win victory over the Brewers. Tampa Bay used seven pitchers to keep its season alive in Game 4 and earned the victory by scoring two runs in the 12th inning.
The Rays now trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Games 6 and 7 at Milwaukee, if necessary.
The Brewers are set to send hard-throwing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski to the mound in Game 5 with a chance to win the first World Series title in franchise history.
Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 30 starts during the regular season when he was named to his second career American League All-Star team. He is also 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA over 24 2/3 innings over four starts during the current postseason.
A sixth-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2018, Rasmussen was traded to the Rays in 2021 in the deal that sent infielder Willy Adames to Milwaukee.