The Milwaukee Brewers were three outs from the first championship in franchise history. Cooper Pratt had just homered in the top of the 12th inning to give them a 3-2 lead. Then the Tampa Bay Rays did what they had not done all series. They came back. Jonny DeLuca tied it, pinch-hitter Ben Williamson won it, and the Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings to force a Game 5.
Twelve Innings of Nerves
Game 3 was a blowout. Game 4 was the opposite. Tampa Bay scored single runs in the second and fourth innings, and Milwaukee answered both times, with a David Hamilton home run in the fourth and the tying run in the fifth. After that, neither team could break through.
Dustin May lasted three innings for Milwaukee, and the Brewers’ bullpen did not allow a run for the next eight. Tampa Bay’s pen was just as good. After Griffin Jax left, Nick Martinez, Kevin Kelly, Bryan Baker and Tyler Wells kept the Brewers off the board, and the game rolled into extra innings tied 2-2.
The 12th Inning
Pratt, who already had a double and two singles, homered off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th. It was his fourth hit of the night and the biggest swing of his career, and for a few minutes it looked like the swing that would win the World Series.
The Rays answered right away. Shane Drohan came in for Milwaukee, and Tampa Bay strung together hits from Liam Hicks, Chandler Simpson and DeLuca, whose hit tied the game. Williamson came off the bench and singled in Nick Fortes, and the Rays poured onto the field. Drohan gave up four hits and did not record an out.
Who Stood Out
- Cooper Pratt: 4 for 5 with a double, a home run and two RBIs. He has been Milwaukee’s best hitter in this series.
- Chandler Simpson: 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI.
- Ben Williamson: one at-bat, one hit and the game-winning RBI.
- The Milwaukee bullpen: eight scoreless innings before the 12th, including 2 1/3 from Aaron Ashby.
My Pick
Before the series, I picked the Brewers in six, and I said that meant I thought the Rays would win at least once in St. Petersburg. After Monday’s 10-1 loss, I was not sure they would. They needed 12 innings and a pinch-hitter, but they got one. If Milwaukee wins on Friday in Game 6, my series pick will be right on the money.
The Series So Far
| Game | Date | Location | Result / Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Fri., Oct. 23 | Milwaukee | Brewers 3, Rays 2 |
| Game 2 | Sat., Oct. 24 | Milwaukee | Brewers 5, Rays 4 |
| Game 3 | Mon., Oct. 26 | St. Petersburg | Brewers 10, Rays 1 |
| Game 4 | Tue., Oct. 27 | St. Petersburg | Rays 4, Brewers 3 (12 inn.) |
| Game 5 | Wed., Oct. 28 | St. Petersburg | 8 p.m., FOX |
| Game 6* | Fri., Oct. 30 | Milwaukee | 8 p.m., FOX |
| Game 7* | Sat., Oct. 31 | Milwaukee | 8 p.m., FOX |
*If necessary
Up Next
Milwaukee still leads 3-1 and gets another chance to clinch on Wednesday night in Game 5. No team has ever come back from 0-3 in the World Series, and the Rays are still three wins from doing it. But after a night like this, they have a reason to believe. I am ready for Game 5.
Featured photo: Tropicana Field, 2023 AL Wild Card Series by Yamasztuka, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Leave a Reply