The Tampa Bay Rays live to play another day, coming through with a two-run 13th inning to walk off the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the World Series 4-3.
The Brewers, smelling its first World Series title in franchise history after 22-year-old Cooper Pratt broke an innings-long 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the top of the 13th inning, were just three outs away from celebrating.
But after an error allowed Junior Caminero to reach base to start the frame, the Rays finally smelled some life. Liam Hicks made even more believers in Tropicana Field when his single moved Caminero to third base, and Jonny DeLuca told the Brewers, “Not so fast!”
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DeLuca’s RBI single to center field scored the tying run, and the rally was on. Chandler Simpson, who had an RBI double to begin the scoring in this game, made it bases loaded with no outs.
Then, Ben Williamson, the last player on the Rays’ bench after they exhausted all options to keep the season alive, delivered a pinch-hit single to cap a thrilling Game 4 with Tampa Bay’s first win in this series, and a necessary one to force Game 5 on Wednesday night.
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It truly looked as if the hero for the Brewers would be Pratt, who had a 4-for-5 night including an RBI double earlier in the game, when he finally broke a 2-2 tie with his solo blast to left field.
The last time the Brewers were in the Fall Classic was 1982, where they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals. It took 44 years to get back, and the Brewers, who owned the best record in the regular season at 103-59, were hoping to end their magical season with another sweep after doing the same in shocking fashion to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
The only postseason game Milwaukee lost before this one was Game 3 of the ALDS against the San Diego Padres.
Heading into Game 4, it felt almost imperative the Rays score first after what transpired on Monday night in Game 3, where the Brewers scored eight runs with two outs in the fifth inning. It was a brutal loss to take at home, but weirder things have happened in sports when teams are down 3-0 in a series.
Simpson came through against Brewers starter Dustin May, doubling down the right field line to score DeLuca for the 1-0 lead.
But Pratt remained confident at the plate for Milwaukee, hitting his own double for, yes, another two-out clutch hit to tie the game.
The Rays, though, hit back with DeLuca simply putting the ball in play, and Brewers third baseman David Hamilton throwing it away in the bottom of the fourth to allow Caminero to cross the plate for the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
However, Hamilton made up for it the next frame in a big way, leading off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run to right center field off Griffin Jax, whose solid start ended on a bad note.
From there, both bullpens were put to the test, as each pitcher got through their batters and frames without letting a run through, forcing extra innings.
But Shane Drohan, who hadn’t pitched in a month due to injury issues and a poor outing his last time out, was no match for the hungry Rays desperate to keep their season alive following Pratt’s potential game-winner.
The series stays alive and we get another thriller lined up in Game 5 between these pennant winners.