Rays Rally in 12th to Force Decider
A throwing error and two singles allowed Tampa Bay to tie and beat Milwaukee, keeping their title hopes alive.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash called the team's 12th-inning comeback against the Milwaukee Brewers a
totally what I told him to do
after Ben Williamson hit a game-winning single on Tuesday night.
The Rays defeated the Brewers 4-3 at Tropicana Field, staving off elimination and forcing a Game 5 in the World Series.
Milwaukee had taken a 3-1 lead in the top of the 12th inning when rookie Cooper Pratt hit a home run off reliever Ian Seymour.
Pratt drove a slider into the left-field seats for his fourth hit of the game, which was his first extra-inning home run in World Series history.
Brewers fans, many of whom waved yellow towels, cheered as Milwaukee appeared poised for its first championship.
The Rays' offense turned on a fielding miscue in the bottom of the 12th inning.
Junior Caminero grounded to third baseman Joey Ortiz, but Ortiz threw a wild relay that allowed Caminero to reach first base.
Liam Hicks followed with a single against Shane Drohan, and Jonny DeLuca singled to center field to bring home pinch-runner Cedric Mullins, tying the score at 3-3.
Chandler Simpson loaded the bases with a single, prompting Milwaukee to shift all infielders inside the diamond.
Williamson, a pinch-hitter who had gone 1-for-15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers into right field to end the game at 4-3 for Tampa Bay. Caminero left the game with a sore left foot but said he will play in Game 5 on Wednesday. Cash stated he has not yet decided on his starting pitcher, while the Brewers are scheduled to start Jacob Misiorowski. The Rays became the fourth team in World Series history to avoid elimination with an extra-inning rally. The previous three teams to achieve this feat, the 1912 Red Sox, 1986 Mets, and 2011 Cardinals, all went on to win their respective championships. Tampa Bay is also the fifth team in 26 World Series to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0 in the series. The Brewers had won their previous eight games and were attempting to become the second team to sweep both the League Championship Series and the World Series. Christian Yelich, the Brewers' captain, said the team must survive hard moments to win a title. Williamson described the team's mindset as one of continuous fighting throughout the season and series. The attendance was 40,514, and the Rays wore their white home jerseys for the game.
