Rays rally in 12th to force World Series Game 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Milwaukee Brewers were closing in on a World Series sweep after rookie Cooper Pratt homered in the 12th inning. The Tampa Bay Rays answered with two runs in the bottom half Tuesday night, winning 4-3 to avoid elimination and force Game 5.

Pratt’s fourth hit of the game, a home run off Ian Seymour, put Milwaukee ahead 3-2. But Tampa Bay’s rally began when Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz made a throwing error on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder against Antonio Senzatela.

Liam Hicks singled off Shane Drohan, who was making his first appearance since Oct. 15. Jonny DeLuca then singled to center, driving in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the game. Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases, and Milwaukee brought in a fifth infielder. Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson, who had been 1 for 15 in the postseason, chopped a ball over first baseman Jake Bauers and into right field for the winning hit.

“We’ve got a lot of fight in us. We’re never going to shy away,” Simpson said. “We were going to keep fighting until the end — the last inning, the last out, the last play, the last pitch.”

The Rays, who are seeking their first championship, became the fifth of 26 teams to fall behind 3-0 in a World Series and win Game 4. The previous four lost Game 5. Across all best-of-seven postseason series, only one of 43 teams facing a 3-0 deficit came back to win: the 2004 Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

Tuesday’s win ended Milwaukee’s eight-game winning streak. The Brewers had been trying to become only the second team to sweep both a League Championship Series and the World Series, which would have given the franchise its first title.

“If you want to win a championship, you’ve got to survive some hard things,” Brewers player Christian Yelich said. “It’s supposed to test you. We understand that.”

Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie, became the first rookie to hit an extra-inning home run in the World Series. He also had two run-scoring doubles: one that tied the score at 1 in the second inning and another that brought home Sal Frelick after a two-out single in the fourth. David Hamilton homered for Milwaukee, while Jackson Chourio singled and doubled, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series.

Simpson drove in a run with a double off Dustin May in the second. Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead when Caminero scored after Hamilton threw DeLuca’s grounder past Bauers for an error. Hamilton later tied the game at 2 with a home run off Griffin Jax.

Caminero hobbled off with an ailing left foot after the 12th-inning play and was replaced by Mullins. He said he would play Wednesday. “He’ll play tomorrow on one leg. I’ll make sure of it,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

Game 5 is Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to start for Milwaukee; Cash said he had not chosen Tampa Bay’s starter.