Rays force World Series Game 5 with late-inning hit

Tampa Bay Rays players left the field in relief after a dramatic final inning.

The Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night in World Series Game 4, forcing a Game 5. The win cut Milwaukee's lead in the series from three games to one. The contest required extra innings to decide the winner. The Rays trailed late in the game before mounting a final rally. The Brewers had held a lead entering the bottom of the 12th inning. A home run by Cooper Pratt extended Milwaukee's advantage in the top half of that inning. The Rays responded immediately in the bottom half. They scored the winning run on a batted ball that deflected over the outfielder. The team recorded four hits during that single inning. They had only recorded five hits in the previous 11 innings.

Junior Caminero started the decisive at-bat by hitting a ground ball down the first-base line. He reached first base on a throwing error. Caminero appeared injured during the play but remained in the game. Liam Hicks followed with a hit that found an opening in the defense. Caminero advanced to third base on the ball. DeLuca then singled to center field, tying the score. Chandler Simpson drew a single next. The Rays sent a pinch hitter to the plate for the final out. That batter chopped a ball over the head of Jake Bauers. The runner scored as the ball landed in the outfield. The Rays celebrated the walk-off victory on the field.

Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to start Game 5 for the Brewers. He was the best pitcher in Major League Baseball during the regular season. He finished the year with a 16-5 record. He led the league in earned run average, strikeouts, and walks plus hits per innings pitched. He has been effective in the playoffs as well. He has pitched 13.1 innings in the postseason. He has allowed four earned runs on 13 hits and five walks in that time. He has struck out 14 batters. This is the first time Rays hitters have faced him twice. The 24-year-old right-hander has a full complement of fresh arms for the start. The Brewers have relied heavily on their bullpen during the playoffs. They have consistently come back from deficits in previous games. Their pitching staff has been a primary factor in their postseason success.

The Rays had lost the first three games of this series. They faced elimination before the start of Game 4. The team needed a win to stay alive in the World Series. The victory provides them with a final chance to win the championship. The series will move to Milwaukee for Game 5. The Brewers hold the home field advantage for the final game. The Rays must win that game to take the series. If they lose, the World Series will end. The teams have provided exciting baseball despite the lopsided series score. Game 3 was the only contest without a late-game drama. The players on both sides will take the field again for the deciding game.