Brewers Rally to Beat Rays 6-2 After McClanahan's Return

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The Milwaukee Brewers rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Tuesday night, spoiling the return of Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan, who was making his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Gary Sánchez and Jake Bauers homered for the Brewers, while Jonathan Aranda and Nick Fortes hit solo shots for the Rays.

Why it matters

This game marked the highly anticipated return of McClanahan, a former All-Star who missed the entire 2025 season due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps after his Tommy John surgery. The Brewers' comeback win overshadowed McClanahan's strong start and raised questions about the Rays' pitching depth as they look to contend in the AL East.

The details

McClanahan held the Brewers hitless through 4 1/3 innings before Milwaukee rallied in the fifth, with Brice Turang driving in two runs with a single. The Brewers added two more runs in the sixth off reliever Cole Sulser, and Bauers hit a solo homer in the eighth to seal the victory. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff struck out six and allowed two runs over five innings to earn the win.

• McClanahan underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2023.
• McClanahan missed the entire 2025 season due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps.
• This game marked McClanahan's first appearance since 2023.

What’s next

Drew Rasmussen is scheduled to start for Tampa Bay and Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to pitch for Milwaukee in the teams' next matchup on Wednesday.