Rays Force Decider After 12th Inning Comeback

The Tampa Bay Rays forced a Game 5 World Series decider with a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

The win snapped an eight-game winning streak for Milwaukee, which was attempting to become only the second team to sweep both the League Championship Series and the World Series. The Rays, who had fallen behind 3-0 in the series, became the fourth team in World Series history to overcome elimination with an extra-inning comeback. According to OptaSTATS, the first three teams to achieve this feat went on to win the championship: the 1912 Red Sox, the 1986 Mets, and the 2011 Cardinals.

Cooper Pratt gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead in the top of the 12th inning with a home run off Ian Seymour. It was his fourth hit of the game and his second home run in the series. The 22-year-old rookie, who debuted in June, became the first rookie to hit an extra-inning home run in the World Series. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy called the performance a response to everything the team had faced.

The Rays answered in the bottom of the 12th after a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz on Junior Caminero's leadoff grounder. Liam Hicks singled to load the bases, and Jonny DeLuca singled to center field to drive in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins, tying the score at 3. Chandler Simpson followed with a single that loaded the bases again. With the infield in, pinch-hitter Ben Williamson hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers into right field to secure the win. Williamson had been 1 for 15 in the postseason prior to this at-bat.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said he instructed Williamson to take the pitch. "That was totally what I told him to do," Cash said. "Pretty big swing. I’ve got to go back and recall everything that took place." Simpson noted that the team remained committed to fighting through the final out.

Junior Caminero was replaced at third base by Cedric Mullins and hobbled off the field with an ailing left foot. Cash said Caminero would definitely play in Game 5. "He’ll play tomorrow on one leg. I’ll make sure of it," Cash said.

The Brewers had a strong offensive showing earlier in the game. David Hamilton hit a home run in the ninth inning, his second of the postseason. Jackson Chourio went 2 for 4 with a single and a double, improving his series average to 10 for 20. The crowd of 40,514 at Tropicana Field included many Milwaukee fans waving yellow towels and wearing cheeseheads.

Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Jacob Misiorowski, the National League Cy Young Award favorite, is scheduled to start for Milwaukee. Cash has not yet decided on a starting pitcher for Tampa Bay.