Rays Force World Series Game 5 With 12th-Inning 4-3 Walk-Off Over Brewers

Q: How did the Rays turn a one-strike-from-elimination moment into a 13-inning World Series escape against Milwaukee?

The Rays survived by capitalizing on Milwaukee’s one late mistake and then stringing together three straight quality at-bats when they were one strike from elimination. Milwaukee appeared to have the title in hand after rookie Cooper Pratt’s solo home run in the top of the 13th gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead. In the bottom half, Tampa Bay’s comeback began when a Brewers error allowed Junior Caminero to reach. That extra baserunner changed the inning. Liam Hicks followed with a single, pushing Caminero into scoring position and giving the Rays immediate life. With the season hanging on the next swings, Jonny DeLuca delivered the key contact Milwaukee could not avoid, lining a single to center to score Caminero and tie the game at 3-3. Chandler Simpson then reached to load the bases with no outs, turning pressure fully onto the Brewers’ bullpen and defense. That set up Ben Williamson, the final bat left on Tampa Bay’s bench. Used as a pinch-hitter, Williamson punched a single to bring home the winning run and complete the 4-3 walk-off. Instead of a Brewers celebration, the Rays forced Game 5. The broader reason Tampa Bay escaped was that its bullpen kept the game close long enough for one opening to matter. Milwaukee’s relievers had protected the tie deep into extras, but after Pratt’s homer, the Brewers could not finish the final strike. Tampa Bay’s combination of patience, contact hitting and bench depth turned that tiny opening into a season-saving rally.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Oct 28

Ben Williamson’s pinch-hit chopper on the 367th pitch scored Nick Fortes in the 12th, capping a four-single rally that gave Tampa Bay a 4-3 win and kept the Series alive.
Joey Ortiz’s throwing error on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder opened the door after Milwaukee had taken a 3-2 lead on rookie Cooper Pratt’s extra-inning homer and was three outs from a sweep.
Tampa Bay became just the fifth team in 26 World Series cases to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0; the previous four all lost Game 5.
Game 5 is Wednesday night at Tropicana Field, with Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski lined up to start while Rays slugger Caminero said he will play despite a sore left foot.