Rays Beat Brewers 4-3 in 12 Innings to Force World Series Game 5

Since Milwaukee opened the World Series with three straight wins, Tampa Bay had been one loss from elimination. On Tuesday night, Oct. 27, at Tropicana Field, the Rays erased a one-run deficit in the bottom of the 12th and won Game 4, 4-3. The Brewers lead the series 3-1, and Game 5 is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

How the 12th inning unfolded

Milwaukee rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt hit a tiebreaking home run off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th. That made it 3-2 and put the Brewers three outs from their first World Series title and the first Series sweep since 2012.

Then the bottom half fell apart. Junior Caminero led off with a grounder to third against Antonio Senzatela. Third baseman Joey Ortiz bounced the throw, and it glanced off first baseman Jake Bauers' mitt for an error.

"I've got to make that play," Ortiz said. "Just no excuse about it."

Brewers manager Pat Murphy brought in left-hander Shane Drohan, who had not pitched since Oct. 15. With Pratt shifted toward second, Liam Hicks hit an opposite-field grounder through the vacated shortstop hole into left, and Caminero slid into third. Caminero appeared to hurt his left foot but stayed in the game until pinch-runner Cedric Mullins replaced him.

Jonny DeLuca's grounder past the mound rolled into center and scored Mullins to tie it at 3. Chandler Simpson then lined a single into center to load the bases.

Milwaukee went to a five-man infield. Ben Williamson, hitting for Victor Mesa Jr. and 1 for 15 in the postseason, chopped a ball over Bauers and into right field for the winning run. Four singles came in a 15-pitch span. The Rays had only five hits through the first 11 innings.

"It's what you dream of as a player to be in that spot," Williamson said.

The game lasted four hours and 20 minutes.

The odds Tampa Bay still faces

The Rays are the fifth of 26 teams that fell behind 3-0 in a World Series to win Game 4. The previous four all lost Game 5.

Of the 43 teams that trailed 3-0 in any best-of-seven postseason series before this year, only one came back to win: the 2004 Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Tampa Bay is the 11th team in that position to force a Game 5. It would be the fifth, and the first in a World Series, to force a Game 6.

MLB.com's research adds that there had been 16 walk-off wins in World Series history by a team facing elimination before Tuesday. The only team to do it facing a sweep was the 1910 Cubs.

The loss also ended an eight-game Brewers postseason winning streak, one short of the record.

"We've got one more day," Seymour said. "Now let's make it two more days."

Brewers captain Christian Yelich framed it differently. "If you want to win a championship, you're supposed to survive some hard things," he said. "It's supposed to be hard. It's supposed to test you."

Misiorowski against the momentum argument

Milwaukee's answer tonight is Jacob Misiorowski. The 24-year-old went 16-5 in the regular season and led the majors in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP. In 13.1 postseason innings he has allowed four earned runs on 13 hits and five walks, with 14 strikeouts.

A Fox News preview of Game 5 argues the Rays took the momentum back with the rally and that Tampa Bay "might have" the edge despite facing Misiorowski. The history above points the other way. Four of the four previous teams to win Game 4 from 0-3 lost the next night.

Bullpen and injury questions

Murphy's bullpen has been a central part of Milwaukee's run. Aaron Ashby entered Game 4 in the ninth with the score tied 2-2, retired seven straight batters on 31 pitches and extended his scoreless streak to 18 postseason innings. That is an MLB record, passing the 16 straight shutout innings Andrew Miller threw for Cleveland in 2016.

Miller praised him to The Athletic. "He's just a dominant force right now, and it's fun to watch Pat Murphy let him go, and him back it up," he said.

Ashby has thrown 5.2 innings in three World Series appearances, allowing one hit and striking out nine. He has recorded more than three outs in all but one of his nine postseason appearances. Game 4 was the first time he pitched in a loss this October.

"It's one of those cool things I guess," Ashby said of the record. "But more so, that loss stings."

Murphy has not said whether Ashby is available tonight after throwing 31 pitches. The Rays have not said whether Caminero's left foot will keep him out of the lineup.

First pitch of Game 5 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. A Milwaukee win would give the Brewers their first championship. A Tampa Bay win would send the series back to Milwaukee for Game 6.