The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, keeping the series alive with Milwaukee leading 3-1. Ben Williamson’s two-out single in the bottom of the 12th drove in the winning run after Milwaukee had tied the game minutes earlier on Cooper Pratt’s solo home run.
The Rays needed extra innings to get it done after both bullpens shut the door for most of the night. Pratt went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and two RBIs for Milwaukee, the single biggest offensive performance by either team. Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax worked four innings and allowed two runs, and the Rays got 11 strikeouts as a staff to keep the Brewers’ lineup off balance deep into the night.
Takeaways From Rays’ Win Over Brewers
Bullpens carried the middle innings
After Jax exited following four innings, Tampa Bay turned to Kevin Kelly, Nick Martinez, Bryan Baker, Tyler Wells and Cam Booser, who combined to allow just one run on two hits over the final eight innings. Milwaukee’s relief corps matched that effort, with JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe, DL Hall, Trevor Megill and Aaron Ashby combining for one run allowed across 7.1 innings behind starter Dustin May.
Pratt’s homer nearly won it for Milwaukee
Pratt’s 396-foot shot to left center in the 12th gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead, but Tampa Bay tied it in the bottom half. Instead, Tampa Bay answered in the bottom half, with Jake DeLuca’s RBI single tying it before Williamson’s hit ended the game.
A throwing error opened the door early
Milwaukee third baseman David Hamilton’s throwing error in the fourth inning allowed Junior Caminero to score on a fielder’s choice, handing the Rays a 2-1 lead they would not hold for long. Hamilton made up for it with a solo home run in the fifth that tied the game 2-2, a swing that stood up until the 12th.
Player Of The Game: Cooper Pratt
Pratt finished 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and a run scored, the most productive line by any player in the game. His 12th-inning homer briefly put Milwaukee in position to close out the series, but the Rays answered in the bottom half to send the Brewers home with a loss despite his effort.
Rays Vs. Brewers By The Numbers
Tampa Bay out-hit Milwaukee 9-8 despite being held without a home run, relying instead on situational hitting and the Brewers’ lone fielding error. The Rays’ pitching staff struck out 11 Milwaukee batters compared to 10 Rays strikeouts, with both offenses finishing with exactly three earned runs allowed. Milwaukee drew four walks to Tampa Bay’s one, but the Rays made the extra baserunners count less by limiting Milwaukee’s damage to a single run across the sixth through 11th innings. Attendance at Tropicana Field was 40,514 for a game that ran 12 innings before a winner was decided.
What It Means
Milwaukee still leads the series 3-1 and needs one more win to clinch its first World Series title, while Tampa Bay has to win three straight to force a comeback. The Brewers improved to 103-59 this season and the Rays sit at 98-64, records that will not change again until the series resumes. Milwaukee’s bullpen held the Rays scoreless from the fifth through 11th innings.
What’s Next
Game 5 will determine if Milwaukee clinches the World Series or if Tampa Bay forces a Game 6.
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