Rays Break Streak with 12th-Inning Rally to Force Series Decider

The 2026 World Series reached a decisive fifth game after the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday night. The victory snapped the Brewers' eight-game winning streak and kept Tampa Bay's championship hopes alive.

Cooper Pratt gave Milwaukee a 3-1 lead in the top of the 12th inning with a home run off Ian Seymour. The 22-year-old rookie recorded his fourth hit of the game, driving a slider into the left-field seats. The crowd of 40,514 at Tropicana Field watched as Milwaukee appeared poised to secure its first title and complete a rare double sweep of the League Championship and World Series.

The momentum shifted in the bottom of the 12th inning due to an error by third baseman Joey Ortiz. Junior Caminero led off with a grounder against reliever Antonio Senzatela, and Ortiz failed to tag the runner at home after the throw bounced past first baseman Jake Bauers. Liam Hicks followed with a single, and Jonny DeLuca drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the score at 3.

Ben Williamson ended the game with a chopper over first base into right field. The pinch-hitter, who had gone 1 for 15 in the postseason, broke up a five-man infield defensive shift employed by Milwaukee. The hit loaded the bases following a single by Chandler Simpson, securing the 4-3 win for Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay became the fifth team in World Series history to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0. The previous four teams in that position lost Game 5. Historically, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series to win the entire championship.

David Hamilton homered for the Brewers, hitting a 0-2 fastball over the right-field fence for his second postseason home run. Jackson Chourio contributed a single and a double, finishing 10 for 20 in the series. Griffin Jax allowed the tying run in the fourth inning, and Dustin May took the loss despite allowing only one run in the second.