Dustin May Gets the Ball with Brewers One Win Away from World Series History

Bob Nightengale just announced that Dustin May is taking the ball for the Milwaukee Brewers tonight.

This is not just a standard rotation turn. Milwaukee is currently sitting on a commanding 3-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, meaning May is being handed the keys to potentially clinch the first World Series title in franchise history.

"Dustin May will start for the Milwaukee Brewers tonight (Bob Nightengale)"

Handing the ball to May in a close-out game is a fascinating roll of the dice. He posted a 4.73 ERA over four appearances late in the regular season and has had a chaotic few months on the mound.

Back in August, he had to leave a start against the New York Mets with a right shoulder contusion after taking a 106-mph line drive to the body, and he was pulled after just two innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in late September. Trusting a guy who has been a human target practice dummy to secure a championship is the kind of high-wire act that makes sports betting a cardiovascular event.

Anyone holding a Brewers futures ticket is probably pacing a hole in their living room floor right now. The offense did the heavy lifting in a 10-1 blowout in Game 3, but relying on run support to bail out a shaky spot start is a dangerous game on baseball's biggest stage.

If May can just string together a few clean innings and hand a lead over to the bullpen, Milwaukee can finally start mapping out a parade route. If he gets shelled early, Tampa Bay gets a pulse, and a comfortable sweep suddenly turns into a very stressful week for the Midwest.