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The Tampa Bay Rays mounted a 12th-inning rally to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in Game 4 of the World Series on Wednesday morning in St. Petersburg, Florida, preventing a series sweep. Milwaukee still holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series as the teams prepare for Game 5.
Late-Inning Rally Secures Victory for Tampa Bay
Milwaukee had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the 12th inning when rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt hit a lead-off home run over the left-field wall. The hit was the fourth of the night for the 22-year-old rookie, putting the Brewers three outs away from securing the franchise’s first title.
However, Tampa Bay responded in the bottom of the 12th. A throw by third baseman Joey Ortiz short-hopped first base, allowing Junior Caminero to reach. Milwaukee then brought in rookie reliever Shane Drohan for his second appearance of the postseason. Liam Hicks followed with a single to put runners on the corners, before singles up the middle from Jonny DeLuca and Chandler Simpson tied the score and loaded the bases. Ben Williamson completed the comeback by hitting a ball over a drawn-in infield, giving Tampa Bay its first home World Series victory since 2008.
Pitching Duel Keeps Game Tied Through 11 Innings
The game featured early back-and-forth scoring. Tampa Bay took the lead in the second inning on an RBI double by Simpson. Pratt leveled the score with an RBI double in the fourth, but Tampa Bay retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning following a defensive misplay by third baseman David Hamilton.
Hamilton evened the game 2-2 in his next plate appearance with his fifth home run of the season. The contest remained tied for the next six innings as both bullpens held firm. Milwaukee went six consecutive innings without scoring, marking their longest run-scoring drought of this postseason. Manager Pat Murphy noted that the Brewers hit seven balls above 97 mph that were caught by the Rays’ defense.
Brewers Turn Attention to Game 5
The defeat was Milwaukee’s second loss of the postseason, ending a 21-day streak without a loss. Despite the result, Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby set a Major League Baseball postseason record during Game 4 by pitching his 18th consecutive scoreless inning.
“That loss stings, but it’s a part of our story,” Ashby said after the game. “I think the boys are fired up to get in here tomorrow.”
No team in World Series history has overcome a 3-0 series deficit to win the title. For Game 5, Milwaukee will send National League Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski to the mound, while Tampa Bay has not yet named a starting pitcher.
“We’ve talked about it a lot as a group, how it’s supposed to be hard,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “This stuff is not supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to test you.”
