Rays battle from brink in 12th inning to stun Brewers and stave off World Series sweep

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 29, 2026

The Tampa Bay Rays won a thrilling 4-3 game in 12 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, forcing a Game 5 and halting Milwaukee’s chance at a series sweep. Facing a rare 3-0 deficit in the World Series, the Rays aim to continue their comeback while the Brewers look to regain momentum with Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski slated to start next.

The Tampa Bay Rays extended their World Series survival with a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in 12 innings on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, forcing a Game 5 in the best-of-seven series. The win prevented the Brewers from completing a sweep and securing their first championship.

Milwaukee appeared poised to close out the series after rookie Cooper Pratt delivered a go-ahead home run in the top of the 12th inning, his fourth hit of the game. Pratt, who made his major league debut in June, provided crucial offensive contributions throughout the game, including an RBI double that tied the contest earlier. His home run off Brewers reliever Ian Seymour gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead and brought the crowd of 40,514 fans, many clad in Brewers colors, to their feet.

However, the Rays responded swiftly in the bottom half of the inning. After a throwing error by Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder against reliever Antonio Senzatela, Tampa Bay capitalized on the opportunity. Liam Hicks singled off new reliever Shane Drohan, and Jonny DeLuca followed with a center-field single that scored pinch-runner Cedric Mullins, knotting the game at 3-3.

With the bases loaded following a single from Chandler Simpson, Milwaukee shifted to a five-man infield, but pinch-hitter Ben Williamson delivered a crucial RBI, sending a ground ball over first base and into right field for the winning run. Williamson, who had struggled offensively during the postseason until this moment, credited the team’s resilience for the comeback. “We’ve got a lot of fight in us. We’re never going to shy away,” Simpson said after the victory.

The Rays now face the challenge of overcoming a 3-0 series deficit, an obstacle rarely surmounted in World Series history. They are only the fifth team to win Game 4 after trailing 3-0, though none of the previous four had managed to win Game 5. The only best-of-seven postseason comeback from a 3-0 deficit remains the Boston Red Sox’s 2004 American League Championship Series win against the New York Yankees.

Tampa Bay’s manager Kevin Cash has yet to announce his starting pitcher for Game 5, while Milwaukee is expected to start National League Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski. Despite limping off the field late in the game with a left foot injury, Caminero is expected to play in Wednesday’s game, according to Cash.

Milwaukee had been riding an eight-game winning streak entering Tuesday’s contest and sought to become the second team to sweep both the League Championship Series and the World Series in the same year. Brewers captain Christian Yelich acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge. “If you want to win a championship, you’ve got to survive some hard things,” he said.

Earlier in the game, David Hamilton provided Milwaukee with additional offense by hitting a home run, while Jackson Chourio improved his World Series batting performance to 10 for 20 with a single and a double. For Tampa Bay, Simpson contributed an RBI double off starter Dustin May, while Caminero’s aggressive baserunning created scoring opportunities.

The series now shifts to Game 5 at Tropicana Field Wednesday night, with the Rays hoping to continue their fight to extend the championship round.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.