Rays force Game 5 of World Series as Brewers seek franchise title
Tampa Bay rallied in the bottom of the 12th inning to win Game 4, extending the 2026 World Series to a decisive Game 5 against Milwaukee, which still holds a chance to claim its first championship.
The Tampa Bay Rays staged a bottom-of-the-12th comeback to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Wednesday, tying the 2026 World Series at two games apiece and setting up a pivotal Game 5 at Tropicana Field. The victory marks the first time a team has forced a Game 5 after trailing 0-2 in a World Series.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, "I think the guys understand it's going to be hard. You're playing the best team in the American League. They proved it all year long, and they came up big today. It's going to be hard. When you're achieving something like this, it's going to have its adversity."
Milwaukee will start right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who earned a win in Game 1 and is a candidate for the National League Cy Young Award. The Rays have named right-hander Drew Rasmussen as their Game 5 starter; he will pitch on three days’ rest after appearing in the rotation earlier in the series.
Both clubs will rely on a mix of rested arms. The Brewers expect relievers Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby to be available, while Tampa Bay’s bullpen includes Cole Sulser, Steven Matz and Garrett Cleavinger as the freshest options.
Key performances so far include Brewers outfielder Ryan Chourio, who tied a World Series record with ten hits in the first four games, and Rays rookie Cooper Pratt, who became the first rookie to record four hits in a potential clinching game and hit a go-ahead home run in the 12th inning of Game 4.
The series has featured several close games, with only one blowout—a two-out, eight-run rally by Milwaukee in Game 4. All games are being broadcast in the United States on MLB.TV and on regional partners internationally, except in Canada where Sportsnet and TVA Sports hold the rights.