Rays Force Decider After 12th-Inning Rally

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday night, forcing a fifth game in the World Series. The victory came after a two-run rally in the bottom of the 12th inning, ending Milwaukee's eight-game winning streak and halting their push for a sweep.

Milwaukee led 3-2 heading into the extra frame. Cooper Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie, hit a tiebreaking home run off reliever Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th. It was his fourth hit of the game and the first extra-inning home run by a rookie in World Series history. The crowd of 40,514 at Tropicana Field saw the Brewers within one run of their first championship.

The momentum shifted in the bottom half due to a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz. Ortiz misfired a throw to first base after Junior Caminero led off with a grounder against reliever Antonio Senzatela. Liam Hicks followed with a single off Shane Drohan. DeLuca then singled to center field, driving in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to make it 3-3.

Chandler Simpson loaded the bases with a single. Milwaukee used a five-man infield to protect the lead. Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson, who had gone 1 for 15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers into right field. The ball landed in the outfield, completing the rally and securing the win for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay became the fifth team in history to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0 in the World Series. The previous four teams that accomplished this feat lost the deciding game. Historically, only one team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven postseason series: the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series.

Milwaukee's offense struggled to sustain pressure in the early innings. David Hamilton hit his second home run of the postseason off Griffin Jax in the fourth inning. Jackson Chourio recorded a single and a double, improving his average to 10 for 20 in the series. The Brewers had been bidding to become only the second team to sweep both a League Championship Series and the World Series.

Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay will wear its white home jerseys, a change from the Devil Rays throwbacks worn in the previous game. The series now stands at 3-2 in favor of Milwaukee, with the winner of the upcoming game holding a commanding lead.