Brewers' Robert Gasser joining Yankees legend Don Larsen is cherry on top of Rays meltdown

As if the Brewers' absurd new tier of dominance over the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series couldn't possibly make the Yankees look any worse, Game 3 lefty Robert Gasser has now joined Don Larsen in WS history, standing alongside one of theYankees franchise's most vaunted accomplishments. No, seriously.

Gasser, a theoretical weak spot in the Brewers' rotation, continued to make the Rays look like they're playing a different sport in Game 3 of this year's Fall Classic. It must be asked: If the Rays can collapse to this extent after running over the Yankees, then how far away are the Yankees? And how much further away are the Red Sox? Is this really a crapshoot like the Cashman/Steinbrenner corps has always said? No ... that can't be ... either way, Tampa's defensive disintegration and Taylor Walls' inability to corral a hotshot liner leading to eight two-out runs in the fifth is probably the primary gloating takeaway here.

And, on the flip side of all that is Gasser, who made it through six innings and faced the minimum, seeing Chandler Simpson erased on an overslide of second base in the first and inducing Nick Fortes, fresh off a cross-Florida drive, to ground into a double play in the sixth. Tough blow.

Gasser's ERA is now 0.60 this postseason after nobody knew what to expect going in, and that only adds to his kinship with Larsen, who was very much a wild card himself when he found a baseball in his shoe and knew he'd been tapped for a surprise World Series start against the Dodgers.

Larsen spun a real perfect game, retiring all 27 batters he faced. If you want to feel better about the Yankees' place in history, Gasser being the only man to get within three innings of Larsen in a finished start - and allowing two base runners in the process - puts the Yankees hurler's accomplishment on an even higher pedestal.

But did Don Larsen have a nickname as cool as "Bobby Diesel"? Maybe "Donny LarDog"? I thought not.

Other left-handers to face the minimum through six innings (though not necessarily finish the start that way) include ... Sandy Koufax in 1965. What a world.

Former Yankees Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers one win away from World Series rings after Robert Gasser's effort with Brewers

Bauers hasn't had the most impactful World Series after his NLCS MVP honors, and Sánchez has mostly been waiting in the wings this postseason, but that can happen when you're part of a machine. The Brewers have so many central cogs that previous centerpieces can simply sit back and watch the likes of William Contreras, Jackson Chourio, Aaron Ashby and Gasser dominate, even against a loaded Rays club.

Sánchez earning a ring isn't an indictment on Aaron Judge. It's just a nice story. And, just like the oddity of Larsen and Gasser hanging out in tandem, Yankees fans should embrace the fun and random narrative that's emerged without dwelling too hard on the Rays running them over.

Though it's pretty funny the Rays framed a photo of them celebrating on the Yankee Stadium grass instead of their ALCS clinch at home, then did this. Pretty funny.

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