World Series: Rays Erase 12th-Inning Deficit to Force Game 5

Tampa Bay Rays players crossed home plate in the final moments of Tuesday night’s game to secure a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The win came in the bottom of the 12th inning, extending the World Series to a fifth contest. The result ended a ten-game winning streak for Milwaukee and forced the teams back to Tropicana Field on Wednesday.

Cooper Pratt had put the Brewers in a position to clinch the championship just moments earlier. The 22-year-old outfielder led off the top of the 12th inning and hit a home run. That score gave Milwaukee the lead, placing them three outs away from their first title. Pratt became the youngest player in history to record four hits in a World Series clinching game.

"That was probably one of the coolest swings of my life," Pratt said. "But it's over."

The game stayed close until the final frame. Tampa Bay loaded the bases to start the bottom half. Shane Drohan, a reliever who had not pitched in 12 days, took the mound. He faced Liam Hicks first. Hicks grounded the ball to the left side, but it eluded a double play because Pratt was positioned near second base to cover a left-handed hitter. The ball went through to the outfield, leaving runners on the corners.

Jonny DeLuca followed with a single up the middle, tying the score at 3-3. Chandler Simpson hit a base hit to load the bases. Ben Williamson, a pinch hitter, then chipped the ball over the head of first baseman Jake Bauers. The ball found the outfield grass for a base hit that gave Tampa Bay the 4-3 lead.

The Brewers had held a lead at some point in every game since September 17. That streak of 18 games tied the franchise record for the longest single-season run. Tuesday was only their second loss in October. They had won 10 of their first 11 postseason games, including eight straight victories.

Joey Ortiz, the Brewers third baseman, made an errant throw to begin the bottom of the 12th. The throw put the tying run on base and forced the manager to bring in Drohan. Ortiz acknowledged the mistake after the game.

"I should make that play every f, ing time," Ortiz said.

Milwaukee produced 12 of the 13 hardest-hit balls in the game. Nine of those batted balls exceeded 102 miles per hour, yet all resulted in outs. The lack of batted-ball luck contrasted with Tampa Bay’s timely hitting in the final frame.

Christian Yelich, the Brewers captain, noted that postseason baseball is designed to test players. "This stuff is not supposed to be easy," Yelich said. "It's supposed to test you."

Shane Drohan said he knew the stakes when he entered the game. "I'm human," Drohan said. "I know what I was walking into, and I just didn't get the job done." He added that he believes the team can overcome the setback because they have been the best team in baseball all year.

Pat Murphy, the Brewers manager, said the team must persevere. "It's going to be hard," Murphy said. "When you're achieving something like this, it's going to have its adversity."