Rays Walk Off Brewers To Keep Season Alive In World Series Classic

The Tampa Bay Rays stormed back in extra innings last night to walk off the Milwaukee Brewers and stay alive in the World Series by a score of 4-3.

The tightly contested game went to extra innings, tied 2-2, before Milwaukee’s Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead home run in the 12th inning. The solo shot sent Brewers fans, who had a strong presence in Tampa, into a frenzy, amplified by the Tropicana Field dome.

Fans began to lick their chops at the thought of not only a sweep, but their first World Series in franchise history. It would have been the Brewers’ ninth straight win and would have capped one of the most incredible World Series runs in history. The team had won eight straight, and both of their playoff losses came by a single run. They had yet to lose uncompetitively.

The Brewers were three outs away.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy wanted Shane Drohan in that spot to get the last three outs. He didn’t record an out before the Rays ended the game in walk-off fashion.

The inning started with a ground-ball error at third base. The throw to first was low, and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers couldn’t pick it for the out at first base.

From there, a pair of hits drove the runner around the bases to tie the game, and Drohan still hadn’t recorded an out. With the bases loaded, Ben Williamson hit a high chopper over Bauer’s head at first base and into right field to win the game. The Rays’ season was saved.

Much controversy surrounds the pitching decision and why Murphy didn’t put in ace pitcher Jacob Misiorowski to close out the series. Murphy stuck by his decision and just chalked it up to the Rays making clutch plays. He also said that if it were a three-run game, the decision might have been different.

Drohan faced the music post-game. “I failed,” the reliever said.

The Rays still have plenty of work to do. No team has ever mounted a 3-0 comeback in the World Series, and only one in MLB history: the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who came back to beat the New York Yankees en route to their World Series title.

Game 5 is Wednesday in Tampa before it returns to Milwaukee, with Misiorowski getting the call this time as the Brewers’ starter. The Rays won’t name a starter and will go with an “all hands on deck” bullpen game.