Robert Gasser carried the same unhurried manner that has become familiar around the Milwaukee clubhouse into the loudest start of his life Monday night. The rookie left-hander gave the Brewers six nearly flawless innings at Tropicana Field, setting the tone for a 10-1 Game 3 victory over the Rays and putting Milwaukee ahead in the World Series.
Brice Turang has watched Gasser closely enough to compare his mound presence to his driving. The left-hander, Turang said, does everything calmly, even behind the wheel. That temperament was on display against Tampa Bay. Gasser did not chase the moment or try to overpower it; he simply moved through the Rays lineup, pitch by pitch, while Milwaukee’s offense eventually turned the game into a rout.
Gasser allowed one hit and no runs, becoming the first rookie starting pitcher to throw six scoreless one-hit innings in a World Series game. Bruce Kison had previously reached that line as a Pirates reliever in Game 4 of the 1971 Series. Gasser also became the first pitcher to face the minimum through six innings in a Fall Classic game since Arizona’s Curt Schilling did it in Game 7 in 2001.
Yandy Díaz started Tampa Bay’s first inning with a single, but was removed on a fielder’s choice. The Rays did not place another man on base until Victor Mesa Jr. drew a leadoff walk in the sixth. Milwaukee promptly erased Mesa on a double play, and Taylor Walls grounded out to finish Gasser’s night. He departed after 75 pitches, with the Brewers already in command following an eight-run fifth inning that began with two outs.
Díaz credited Gasser’s execution after the game, saying the Rays could not handle the pitches he was delivering. There was little mystery in the result: Tampa Bay had no sustained traffic, no inning to build on, and no answer for a pitcher who kept the ball moving and the game at his own pace.
A rookie who has handled October
The World Series assignment was Gasser’s biggest yet, but it was not his first difficult road test this postseason. The 27-year-old gave Milwaukee four innings while allowing one run in Game 4 of the National League Division Series at San Diego. He followed that by working five scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Los Angeles in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Those outings, Gasser said, taught him not to force the action. He said he learned that he did not need to press or become a different pitcher in high-pressure games, and he brought that same approach into Monday’s start. Even with a sold-out building around him and a World Series game on the line, he tried to take in the occasion rather than fear it.
“It’s just a game,” Gasser said. “I relaxed and did my best to look around, soak it in and enjoy it. It’s a special opportunity that we all have to be here. To be nervous or scared would only be cheating myself and my teammates.”
Milwaukee acquired Gasser from San Diego as part of the four-player return for closer Josh Hader at the 2022 Trade Deadline. During the regular season, he went 5-5 with a 3.87 ERA in 21 appearances, including 20 starts. Manager Pat Murphy said the postseason has revealed how much the young starter’s confidence has grown.
Murphy also pointed to catcher William Contreras, who has helped steer Gasser through each assignment. The manager said Contreras has handled the pitcher particularly well, while Gasser praised his catcher’s ability to encourage him or demand more when the situation calls for it. Gasser said Contreras has been building that trust since their first day together.
Turang, who has faced Gasser enough in team settings to know the quality of his stuff, called the left-hander “nasty” and admired the confidence he showed on the sport’s largest stage. The Brewers would gladly take another appearance from him if the Series requires it, but Gasser has already given them a strong possibility: a postseason that ends with 15 innings, only one run allowed, and a championship.
Milwaukee will try to move one step closer when Game 4 is played Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
