ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Milwaukee Brewers are one win away from the first World Series championship in franchise history, and they get their first chance to close it out tonight. Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays is set for 5:00 p.m. PT at Tropicana Field, with Jacob Misiorowski starting for Milwaukee and the series standing 3-1 after Tampa Bay’s stunning Game 4 escape.
The Rays refused to go quietly on Tuesday night, rallying for two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning to win 4-3 and force Game 5. Milwaukee had gone ahead 3-2 in the top of the 12th on Cooper Pratt’s home run, his fourth hit of the game, and looked bound for a sweep. But Junior Caminero reached on a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz to open the bottom half, Liam Hicks singled, and Jonny DeLuca’s single to center drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie it. Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson — 1 for 15 in the postseason before that at-bat — chopped a walk-off single over first baseman Jake Bauers into right field.
History offers Tampa Bay a sliver of hope: the Rays became just the fourth team ever to avoid World Series elimination with an extra-inning comeback, and the first three — the 1912 Red Sox, the 1986 Mets and the 2011 Cardinals — all went on to win the championship. Ian Seymour was credited with the Game 4 win; rookie Shane Drohan took the loss in his first appearance since October 15.
For Milwaukee, the math is unchanged: win tonight and the franchise that last reached the Fall Classic in 1982 finally gets its title. Lose, and the series returns to Milwaukee for Game 6 on Friday and, if necessary, Game 7 on Saturday. Misiorowski, who started the series opener for the Brewers, takes the ball with the championship on the line.
Game 5 airs on FOX at 5:00 p.m. PT. The Brewers have outplayed Tampa Bay for most of the series — including a 10-1 rout in Game 3 — but Game 4 proved the Rays will not hand them anything. One more win, or one more night of October chaos.
Photo: MLB
Photo: MLB
Photo: MLB
Source: Associated Press, October 28, 2026; USA Today, October 28, 2026
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