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Rays survive Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings to force World Series Game 5
Tampa Bay was down 0-3, and a walk-off chop over a drawn-in infield keeps the Series alive for Brewers and Rays fans alike.
A walk-off that keeps the Series going
The Rays were one loss from a sweep, and they beat the Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings to extend the postseason for at least one more game. [1] It was Game 4 of the World Series, played Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. [2]
Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson ended it by bouncing a Baltimore chop into right field for the game-winning RBI. [2] He chopped the ball over a drawn-in infield, and it scored pinch-runner Nick Fortes. [1][2]
Williamson had fouled a ball off his face a day earlier. [2]
How the 12th inning unfolded
The Brewers went ahead first. Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the 12th, the first playoff home run of his career. [1] Reliever Ian Seymour allowed the solo shot. [2]
A Joey Ortiz error opened the door for the Rays in the bottom half. [1] Caminero grounded one Ortiz's way, and the long throw bounced off first baseman Jake Bauers's glove, which let Junior Caminero reach. [2]
Four straight hits in that frame pushed the tying and winning runs across. [1] Most of the damage came against lefty Shane Drohan, who had pitched only one playoff inning before Tuesday. [1] He failed to record an out. [1]
Pratt's big night and a tied game
Pratt went 4-for-5 on a night when his teammates combined for four hits. [1]
The score was tied 2-2 from the top of the fifth inning through the 12th, and both teams used deep bullpens. [2] Rays would-be Game 5 starter Nick Martinez pitched two scoreless relief innings. [2] Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby extended a record relief run of 18 straight scoreless innings. [2]
The Rays got their second run in the fourth after Brewers starting third baseman David Hamilton missed a tag on Junior Caminero and threw errantly to first. [2] That let Caminero score. [2]
The Brewers' decision on the mound
Manager Pat Murphy said he did not want to burn ace Jacob Misiorowski in that spot, so Misiorowski did not pitch the 12th inning. [1] Misiorowski will start Game 5 for the Brewers. [1]
He tossed five innings of one-run ball in a Game 1 victory. [1] The loss snapped the Brewers' eight-game postseason winning streak. [2]
How rare this comeback is
Tampa Bay was the 44th team to face an 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series and the 11th to force a Game 5. [2] The only previous team to win a game when facing a sweep in the World Series was the 1910 Cubs. [2]
Before this game, there had been 16 World Series walk-off wins by a team facing elimination, and four of them came in the 12th inning or later. [2]
The defense, plate approach and baserunning that had defined the Rays' season had largely vanished in the first three games of the Series. [2]
What the players and managers said
Rays manager Kevin Cash said the team pieced together a big inning, maybe the most important of the season. [2] Seymour said the team had one more day to play. [2]
Brewers captain Christian Yelich said that surviving hard things is part of winning a championship. [2]
What to watch in Game 5
If you follow either team, Game 5 is scheduled for 7 pm CT. [1] Misiorowski starts for the Brewers. [1]
Watch the Rays' pitching plan too, because Nick Martinez was their would-be Game 5 starter before he worked two relief innings in Game 4. [2]
Sources
- The Opener: Rays Survive, Pratt, Misiorowski — mlbtraderumors.com
- 'We’ve got one more day': Rays walk it off to force Game 5 — mlb.com
Written from the sources above and checked twice before publishing. How we work · Report an error
