Brewers Score Series Record in Fifth to Take 3-0 Lead Over Rays

The Milwaukee Brewers erased a tight scoreline on Monday night with a postseason-record offensive burst.

In the fifth inning, the Brewers scored eight runs, all with two outs, to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1. This rally established a new World Series record for runs scored in a single inning. The victory gives Milwaukee a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The surge began against former Brewer Freddy Peralta, who was replaced by left-handed pitcher Cam Booser. Brice Turang grounded into a double play, but the ball trickled past shortstop Taylor Walls for a two-run hit. The Brewers then recorded seven consecutive hits, including several with runners in scoring position. They did not hit a home run during the inning. In the series so far, the Brewers have outscored the Rays 18-7 while hitting only one home run. This style of play mirrors their regular season, where they finished with a Major League Baseball-best 103 wins.

Manager Pat Murphy described his team as relentless, noting that they make every pitch count. "That's the same thing that Tampa did all year. That team is very, very capable. This is a best-of-seven series. It looks like we're in the driver's seat, but it's baseball. Anything can happen," Murphy said. Captain Christian Yelich credited Turang with starting the rally, stating that he made his at-bat count. Hitting coach Dan Vogelbach emphasized that his players are fighters who never feel out of the game, whether they are leading or trailing.

Jackson Chourio recorded four hits in the game. William Contreras added three hits, bringing his postseason total to 18, the highest in franchise history. Rookie left-handed pitcher Robert Gasser threw six shutout innings, allowing just one hit. He faced the minimum number of batters, becoming the first left-handed pitcher to do so over at least six innings in a World Series game since Sandy Koufax in 1965. Gasser’s postseason earned run average dropped to 0.60 over 15 innings. Brandon Woodruff, 33, made his first appearance since a shoulder injury sustained in July. He closed the game by retiring the last three batters. Woodruff noted that he has not participated in a playoff game since 2021 and called the World Series a fitting spot for his return.

The atmosphere at Tropicana Field featured a large group of Brewers fans. Outfielder Sal Frelick said the team will treat Game 4 like a final, focusing on winning every pitch and inning. "We're focused on winning tomorrow," Frelick said. "We're going to treat it like a Game 7. We obviously know that one more win can get us a nice trophy, but it's really just win every pitch, every inning, every at-bat. That's what's kind of what got us here."

Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero said through an interpreter that his team is playing their best but the Brewers are currently outperforming them. The Rays are seeking to avoid becoming the 26th team to fail to win after taking a 3-0 lead, a feat never accomplished in World Series history. Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night, where Milwaukee aims to become the first team to sweep both the League Championship Series and the World Series since the former switched to a best-of-seven format in 1985.