Former Padres prospect Robert Gasser holds the key to Brewers’ control of World Series vs. Rays

The Padres traded Robert Gasser to help win in the postseason. But it turns out, he’s getting the ball with a chance to put Milwaukee one victory from a World Series trophy. It’s a pretty good reason for San Diego to keep watching.

The former Padres pitching prospect starts Game 3 of the World Series against Tampa Bay on Monday, with the Brewers holding a 2-0 lead. A Milwaukee win puts the Rays on the edge of elimination. A Tampa Bay win gives this series some breathing room and the home crowd a reason to continue believing.

Gasser gets the first crack at deciding which version we see. We remember his name from the Josh Hader trade. Milwaukee has intentions on people remembering it for something much bigger.

Robert Gasser can turn the Brewers’ World Series lead into a chokehold

There’s a tendency to look at a 2-0 series lead and assume the hard part is done. Then the trailing team wins at home, the crowd gets even more intense, and suddenly everyone starts questioning which way the rest of the series will go.

Gasser has the power to spare that conversation in Game 3. He needs to keep the Rays from turning Tropicana Field into a reset.

He already has some convincing data behind him. He threw five scoreless innings against the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS, allowing three hits. Through his first two postseason starts, he has surrendered one run in nine innings. The one run against him came from his former team, the Padres.

Freddy Peralta makes the assignment considerably tougher. The former Milwaukee ace starts for Tampa Bay after winning ALCS MVP honors. He gives the Rays a credible way back into the series, which puts a premium on Gasser avoiding an early deficit.

The Padres connection makes Gasser’s opportunity worth watching

San Diego sent Gasser to Milwaukee in the August 2022 deal for Hader. He was a prospect then, with development still ahead of him and no guarantee that a night like this would ever arrive.

Now he’s being trusted with one of the biggest starts in franchise history. It can get exhausting to run down the list of former Padres prospects who have found success outside of the organization. Still, there’s something striking about watching a pitcher once included in San Diego’s pursuit of a championship become central to Milwaukee’s pursuit of one.

Gasser has moved well beyond being a familiar name in an old transaction. And that’s something Padres fans will have to sit with.

If Gasser gives Milwaukee another composed start, the Brewers could leave Game 3 preparing to finish the job.

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