ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — The Tampa Bay Rays were not going to be swept aside by rookie Cooper Pratt and the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, Pinch hitter Ben Williamson delivered a walk-off single in the 12th inning as the Rays staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Brewers on Tuesday in Game 4 of the World Series.
The Brewers, who squandered a 12th inning lead, still are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is set for Wednesday in St. Petersburg.
“Gritty. Gritty. We’re dangerous,” Tampa Bay’s Nick Martinez said. “We have our backs against the wall. We know what we have to do. We can win four in a row. This team is capable of doing that.”
After Pratt capped his four-hit performance with a homer to lead off the top of the 12th, giving Milwaukee a 3-2 lead, Tampa Bay saved its season with an epic 2-run rally in the bottom of the inning.
Junior Caminero reached on a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz to open the 12th inning and chase Antonio Senzatela from the game.
“There’s no excuse. Not one at all,” Ortiz said. “I should make that play every f—- time.”
Shane Drohan (0-1) relieved Senzatela, and allowed a single to Liam Hicks to put runners on the corners. Jonny DeLuca’s single up the middle plated pinch runner Cedric Mullins to forge a 3-3 tie.
Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases before Williamson bounced a chopper into right field, knocking in pinch runner Nick Fortes to end the game.
Drohan, who was making his first relief appearance since Oct. 15, did not offer any excuses after the game.
“(It’s) definitely hard. I’m human, but I knew what I was walking into. I just didn’t get the job done,” said Drohan, who permitted one run on four hits without retiring a batter.
Williamson had been 1-for-15 in the postseason before recording the game-winning hit.
“You guys know how the game works, it’s momentum, and we just got it right now,” DeLuca told Fox Sports. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep it going into tomorrow, We love the position we’re in. We love being underdogs. We know the fight we have in this clubhouse, coaches, team, everyone. It’s a fun position to be in.”
Brewers captain Christian Yelich believes his team will respond from this loss.
“You’re supposed to face adversity. You have to battle back from it. That’s why you celebrate at the end, because that’s what it requires out of you,” he said. “I believe in our room and I believe we’re prepared to meet that challenge.”
Pratt, who also had an RBI double in the fourth inning, deposited a 2-2 sweeper from Ian Seymour (2-0) over the wall in left-center field in the top of the 12th. Seymour allowed one run on two hits in one inning.
Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio recorded two hits, boosting his total to 10 hits in the first four games of a World Series. The only other player to accomplish that feat was Babe Ruth in 1928.
The Brewers’ David Hamilton atoned for an earlier miscue by homering to lead off the fifth inning, tying the game 2-2.
Simpson ripped an RBI double in the second inning and made a leaping catch at the wall in the ninth for the Rays, who (at least temporarily) prevented the Brewers from capturing their first World Series title.
In the second, DeLuca reached on a fielder’s choice and hustled home on Simpson’s double into the right field corner to open the scoring.
Sal Frelick reached on a two-out single and scampered home on Pratt’s double into the left field corner to forge a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning.
Tampa Bay answered in the bottom of the frame. Third baseman Hamilton’s throw toward first base sailed off the mark, allowing Caminero to score from second and giving the Rays a 2-1 lead.
In the fifth, Hamilton sent a 0-2 fastball from Griffin Jax over the wall in right center field to forge a 2-2 tie. The blast chased Jax from the game. — Reuters