Rays Escape Elimination With 12th-Inning Rally Against Brewers

Tampa Bay fans who traveled to Tropicana Field on Tuesday night witnessed a 12th-inning rally that kept the Rays alive in the World Series. The team defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 to avoid elimination and force a Game 5 matchup on Wednesday.

The Brewers held a 3-2 lead in the top of the 12th inning after rookie Cooper Pratt hit a home run off Ian Seymour. Pratt, who made his major league debut in June, became the first rookie to hit a World Series extra-inning home run. The hit extended Milwaukee's winning streak to eight games and placed them one out away from their first World Series title.

In the bottom of the 12th, Junior Camerino grounded out to start the inning. Third baseman Joey Ortiz bounced the throw, and the ball glanced off first baseman Jake Bauers' mitt for an error. Camerino appeared to injure his left foot on the play but remained in the game.

Liam Hicks, Jonny DeLuca, Chandler Simpson, and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson then recorded consecutive singles in a 15-pitch sequence against rookie reliever Shane Drohan. DeLuca's single tied the score at 3-3 after pinch-runner Cedric Mullins replaced Camerino. Simpson loaded the bases with a line drive to center field.

Williamson, who had gone 1-for-15 in the postseason, hit a chopper off the foul line to score Nick Fortes and win the game. The play occurred on the 367th pitch of the contest. Rays manager Kevin Cash stated that he instructed Williamson to hit the ball toward the infield to maximize the chance of scoring the runner.

Shane Drohan, a 27-year-old left-hander who had not pitched since Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 15, took the loss. He cited the defensive alignment as a factor, noting that the shift was designed to cover his own position. "I just didn't do the job there," Drohan said.

Tampa Bay became the fourth team in World Series history to avoid elimination with an extra-inning comeback. According to OptaSTATS, the 1912 Boston Red Sox, 1986 New York Mets, and 2011 St. Louis Cardinals are the other teams to achieve this feat. All three subsequently won their respective titles.

The Rays also became the fifth of 26 teams to win Game 4 after trailing a World Series 3-0. Historical data shows that the previous four teams in this scenario lost Game 5. Only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have ever rebounded from a 3-0 deficit in any best-of-seven postseason series to win the championship.

Camerino hobbled off the field with an ailing left foot after being replaced by Mullins at third base. However, the All-Star slugger confirmed he will play in Wednesday's game. "He'll play tomorrow on one leg. I'll make sure of it," Cash said.

Milwaukee's starter Dustin May allowed an RBI double to Simpson in the second inning. Griffin Jax followed in the fourth, where David Hamilton homered to right field to tie the game at 2-2. Jackson Chourio recorded a single and a double, improving his postseason batting average to .500. The game lasted 4 hours and 20 minutes, ending at 12:28 a.m.

Jacob Misiorowski, the favorite for the National League Cy Young Award, is scheduled to start for Milwaukee on Wednesday. Cash has not yet selected a starting pitcher for Tampa Bay. The crowd at Tropicana Field reached 40,514, with many Brewers fans wearing cheeseheads and waving yellow towels.