They have been two edge-of-your-seat wins, but the Milwaukee Brewers are up 2-0 over the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, and they're two wins away from the first championship in franchise history. Historically, teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven have gone on to win the series 83% of the time. The Brewers are in the driver's seat, but they know the job is not done, or even close to it.
"Their team is good." Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Game 2. "They're the best team in the American League and I'm well aware of it. I think we had a lot of things go our way, and I realize that.
I respect Tampa, and we've got a long way to go." The series now shifts to Tropicana Field and the Rays will try to erase the 2-0 deficit, something that hasn't been done in the World Series in 30 years. Good news, though: You only need to look back to last season for the last time a team came back from down 2-0 in a best-of-seven. It is rare, but it is hardly unprecedented, and these Rays are plenty capable of it.
In 95 tries, 16 teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Six of the 16 occurred before 1980, and three occurred in 1985 alone. Here are the six 2-0 comebacks in the last 40 years: The last two 2-0 comebacks in the World Series came in the sixth year of the decade.
A good omen for the Rays? Tampa needs all the help it can get to beat the Brewers four times in the next five games. Note that those 2004 Red Sox are, of course, the only team in history to erase a 3-0 series deficit.
A Game 3 win is an absolute must for the Rays. The Brewers last lost four times in five games from Aug. 10-14 during a West Coast trip through San Diego and Chavez Ravine. They lost four times in five games from July 8-12 as well, also on the road.
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