Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski threw the fastest pitch in World Series history as he began his best-of-seven season with a win.
The right-hander played a stellar role in a 3-2 home win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the first in the World Series at No. 122.
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He has previously won a World Series title in only the second century more than any other side of the competition.
A sellout crowd watched the Brewers in just their second appearance in the Major League Finals last season, and their first since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Milwaukee American Family Field has 41,900 seats, but with room only tickets available for the ‘Fall Classic’, 43,250 fans packed in to see the game.
“It was amazing — just to have the city behind me means the world, we couldn’t have asked for anything better,” Misiorowski said.
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The Brewers host the second game of the best-of-seven series on Saturday before the teams move to Florida for three games, then return to Milwaukee for the final two games if needed.
Misiorowski, 24, became the youngest starter since 1997 to be caught in a World Series opener after shutting out the Rays in five innings to one run.
The fastest pitch hit at 103.5 mph surpassed the previous mark of 103.2 mph set by Arnold Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 – though speeds only been recorded from 2008.
Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich also played a key role, driving in one run and scoring in another to take a 3-1 lead.
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The Rays added one run in the final inning and had a runner on third base to tie the game, but Milwaukee closed out the win.
“It felt great. The guys settled in right away and did a great job,” Yelich said. “We’ve still got a ways to go, but it’s nice to have it first.”
The Brewers won the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 to claim the National League title, while the Rays clinched the American League title with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the postseason for just the third time.
The Rays lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series and the Dodgers in 2020, but manager Kevin Cash took solace in what the Brewers tried on Friday.
“We came up a little short, but maybe there’s some damage,” said Cash.