Before Williamson’s blast, the Rays had been on the brink of a sweep. Milwaukee, seeking their first World Series championship, had taken a 3-1 series lead after winning the first three games. In Game 4, the Brewers extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning, with David Hamilton hitting his second home run of the postseason off Griffin Jax. Cooper Pratt, the 22-year-old rookie, had already tied the score at 1-1 with an RBI double in the second inning and added a tiebreaking home run off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th. For much of the extra-innings battle, Milwaukee appeared to be closing in on a historic 4-0 series victory, which would have made them the second team to sweep both the League Championship Series and the World Series.
The tide turned in the bottom of the 12th inning following a defensive lapse by Milwaukee. Junior Caminero, leading off the inning, grounded the ball to third baseman Joey Ortiz. Ortiz’s throw to first was erratic, allowing Caminero to reach safely. However, Caminero was subsequently replaced by Mullins at third base and hobbled off the field with an ailing left foot. Rays manager Kevin Cash confirmed Caminero would play in Game 5, stating, “He’ll play tomorrow on one leg. I’ll make sure of it.”
With the bases loaded after a single by Liam Hicks and a single by Chandler Simpson, Milwaukee employed a five-man infield with the infield in. Simpson, who had also hit an RBI double off starter Dustin May in the second inning, provided the key setup for the winning run. “We’ve got a lot of fight in us. We’re never going to shy away,” Simpson said. “We were going to keep fighting until the end – the last inning, the last out, the last play, the last pitch.”
Williamson, who had gone 1-for-15 in the postseason, delivered the decisive hit. “It just shows the resiliency of this group,” Williamson said. “We continue to fight, and that’s been the motto this series and this full season, is just fight.”
Statistically, the Rays’ survival is a rarity. Tampa Bay became just the fifth of 26 teams in World Series history to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0. However, the previous four teams to achieve this feat all lost Game 5, resulting in a series loss. In the broader context of the postseason, of 43 teams to trail 3-0 in any best-of-seven matchup, only one has rebounded to win the series: the 2004 Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
For Milwaukee, the loss ends an eight-game winning streak and delays their championship bid. Captain Christian Yelich acknowledged the difficulty of the moment. “If you want to win a championship, you’ve got to survive some hard things,” Yelich said. “Like I said earlier, it’s supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to test you. We understand that.”
Pratt, who debuted in June, made history by becoming the first rookie to hit an extra-inning home run in the World Series. Despite the heartbreak of the late rally, his performance underscored Milwaukee’s offensive depth. Jackson Chourio also contributed with a single and a double, improving his Series line to 10-for-20. The Brewers had taken a commanding lead in the earlier innings, with Hamilton’s home run providing a 3-1 cushion before the late-game chaos.
The atmosphere at Tropicana Field, which hosted 40,514 fans, was electric. Many Milwaukee supporters waved yellow towels, while some wore cheeseheads, bringing a distinct Badger State presence to Tampa Bay’s home ground. The Rays returned to their white home jerseys for this game, a day after wearing Devil Rays throwbacks.
Game 5 takes place Wednesday at 8 p.m. EDT at Tropicana Field. NL Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to start for the Brewers. Rays manager Kevin Cash has not yet announced his starter. The series now stands at 3-2 in favor of Milwaukee, with Game 6 scheduled for Friday in Milwaukee and a potential Game 7 on Saturday, both air on Fox and Fox Deportes in the US, and TNT Sports in the UK.
