Brewers claim first title since 1968 in 4-1 victory over Rays

Milwaukee residents can grab a bratwurst and raise a beer. The Brewers are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history. The team from the smallest market in Major League Baseball defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. The win snapped a 58-year title drought for a franchise that began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969.

Jacob Misiorowski anchored the pitching staff for the victory. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits. He left the game due to a right calf cramp but received a standing ovation from the Brew-Crew, who occupied the section behind the Milwaukee dugout for the final three games. Misiorowski, the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award, finished the series with a 0.84 ERA and two wins as a starter. His 103.5 mph fastball earlier in the series broke the World Series velocity record.

The Brewers offense relied on contact and execution. Rookie Cooper Pratt set a Series rookie record with six consecutive hits before delivering a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. He also contributed two RBIs. Jackson Chourio set a five-game Series record with 11 total hits. The team, which scored a major league-low 32.1 percent of its runs on home runs, capitalized on small-ball opportunities to build a 4-0 lead. Closer Trevor Megill retired Richie Palacios on a grounder to secure the final out.

Manager Pat Murphy led the team to the title in his third full season. The 67-year-old, who recovered from a 2020 heart attack, won NL Manager of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025. His squad rebounded from a 4-3 extra-inning loss in Game 4, where they were three outs away from being swept. The Brewers finished the regular season with 103 wins, the best in the majors, and went 11-2 in the postseason, including a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.

The Rays, an expansion team that debuted in 1998, drop to 0-3 in World Series history. They are the fifth team to lose in Game 5 after falling behind 3-0. Drew Rasmussen pitched on three days' rest and allowed one run and two hits in four innings. Kevin Kelly replaced him to start the fifth inning. The series marked the first World Series between two teams in the bottom half of payrolls since 1991. The Brewers ranked 19th and the Rays ranked 25th in payroll as of August 31.

The championship arrives as baseball owners push for a salary cap to help small-market teams compete. A management lockout is likely to begin on December 2. The Brewers join the 1957 Atlanta Braves as the only MLB teams to win a title in Milwaukee. The franchise's previous appearance in the 1982 World Series ended in a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals after blowing a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning.