World Series Game 3 moves the Fall Classic to Florida on Monday night, and it brings a pitching matchup loaded with history. The Tampa Bay Rays host the Milwaukee Brewers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, with former Brewer Freddy Peralta starting for Tampa Bay against Milwaukee left-hander Robert Gasser.

Game 3 is scheduled for Monday, October 26, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, according to the New York Post’s World Series schedule. The full series schedule is: Game 4 on Tuesday, October 27, Game 5 on Wednesday, October 28 (if necessary), Game 6 on Friday, October 30 (if necessary) and Game 7 on Saturday, October 31 (if necessary), all at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Milwaukee leads the series 2-0. The Brewers won Game 1 by 3-2 on Friday night and rallied from 4-0 down to win Game 2 by 5-4 on Saturday night in Milwaukee.

The pitching matchup: Peralta vs Gasser

The Brewers have named left-hander Robert Gasser as their Game 3 starter, according to ClutchPoints, while the Rays will send former Brewers hurler Freddy Peralta to the mound. Peralta was named ALCS MVP after Tampa Bay’s championship-series win, and now he faces his old team on baseball’s biggest stage.

Gasser has been a breakout star of Milwaukee’s postseason. According to a report by Albat, he carries a 1.00 ERA in two playoff starts, with a regular season of 3.87 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 109.1 innings. Brewers manager Pat Murphy praised him before the NLCS, saying, “Somebody’s gotta step up. ‘Gas’ has been that guy, and we need more to follow.”

Peralta’s assignment is the emotional center of Game 3. He was a Brewer before joining the Rays, and his ALCS MVP performance helped Tampa Bay reach its first World Series since 2020 and the third in franchise history, after losses in 2008 and 2020. Both clubs are chasing their first championship: Milwaukee’s only other World Series appearance was a seven-game loss in 1982.

How we got here: Brewers take Games 1 and 2

Milwaukee opened the series with a tense 3-2 win on Friday night at American Family Field. Jacob Misiorowski allowed one run over five innings, and closer Trevor Megill stranded the tying run at third base to preserve the win, according to Reuters.

The Brewers scored two runs in the first inning off Rays starter Nick Martinez. Jackson Chourio singled on the first pitch and scored on Christian Yelich’s one-out triple, and William Contreras followed with an RBI single. Milwaukee added a run in the seventh on Chourio’s RBI single to go up 3-1.

The Rays rallied in the ninth off Megill, scoring once and loading the bases, but a video review overturned what appeared to be a game-ending double play, and Megill struck out Jonny DeLuca for his fifth postseason save in five opportunities. Misiorowski set the tone by throwing a 103.5 mph fastball to open the game, the fastest pitch in World Series history, according to Reuters.

Game 2, played Saturday night in Milwaukee, featured Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen. According to the New York Post, Rasmussen entered Game 2 at 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, while Henderson was 11-3 with a 2.47 ERA. The early innings saw Tampa Bay jump out to a lead on a Liam Hicks home run, according to USA Today, but Milwaukee rallied from 4-0 down to win 5-4, with Sal Frelick’s sixth-inning homer tying the game and Cooper Pratt’s seventh-inning single driving in the winner.

What to watch in Game 3

Peralta against his old lineup. Peralta knows Milwaukee’s hitters, and they know him. That familiarity usually favors the pitcher early and the hitters late, which makes the middle innings of Game 3 fascinating.

Tropicana Field’s atmosphere. The series moves indoors to St. Petersburg, where the Rays will play in front of their home crowd for the first time in the series. Tampa Bay clinched the AL East and held home-field advantage through the American League postseason, and the club will be counting on that edge.

The bullpens. With a day off between Game 2 and Game 3, both bullpens should be rested. Milwaukee’s relief corps, led by Megill and setup man Aaron Ashby, was superb in Game 1, combining for scoreless work after Misiorowski departed. Tampa Bay’s closer Bryan Baker is one of the Rays’ five All-Stars from this season.

The championship droughts. Neither franchise has ever won the World Series. Milwaukee has waited since 1982 for a return trip; Tampa Bay has waited since its 2020 loss. Game 3 will not decide the title, but it will tilt the series — a Milwaukee win in Florida would put the Brewers on the brink, while a Rays win would square things up and hand Tampa Bay momentum heading into Games 4 and 5 at home.

World Series schedule and TV info

• Game 1: Brewers 3, Rays 2 (Friday, October 23, Milwaukee)
• Game 2: Brewers 5, Rays 4 (Saturday, October 24, Milwaukee)
• Game 3: Monday, October 26, 8 p.m. ET, Tropicana Field, FOX
• Game 4: Tuesday, October 27, 8 p.m. ET, Tropicana Field, FOX
• Game 5: Wednesday, October 28, 8 p.m. ET, Tropicana Field, FOX (if necessary)
• Game 6: Friday, October 30, 8 p.m. ET, Milwaukee, FOX (if necessary)
• Game 7: Saturday, October 31, 8 p.m. ET, Milwaukee, FOX (if necessary)

For the Game 1 result, read our earlier coverage: Brewers 3, Rays 2: Milwaukee Takes World Series Game 1. For the series outlook, see World Series 2026: Rays vs Brewers preview.

Frequently asked questions

When is World Series Game 3?

World Series Game 3 is Monday, October 26, at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, televised on FOX.

Who are the starting pitchers for World Series Game 3?

The Brewers will start left-hander Robert Gasser and the Rays will start Freddy Peralta, according to ClutchPoints.

What is the World Series score going into Game 3?

Milwaukee won Game 1 by 3-2 and Game 2 by 5-4, so the Brewers lead the series 2-0 entering Game 3.

Has either team ever won the World Series?

No. The Brewers lost their only previous World Series in 1982, and the Rays lost in 2008 and 2020. Both teams are chasing their first championship.

Sources: ClutchPoints (Brewers make World Series Game 3 starting pitching decision); New York Post (Where to watch Rays-Brewers World Series Game 2); Reuters (Brewers survive harrowing 9th to edge Rays in World Series opener); USA Today (Liam Hicks, Rays jump Brewers immediately in World Series Game 2).