The Tampa Bay Rays managed to narrowly keep their World Series hopes alive in a tense Game 4 that rumbled on late into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The Rays entered the do-or-die Game 4 on Tuesday desperately needing a win to extend the series and avoid a championship sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers.
It took four and a half hours and 12 innings but Tampa Bay finally managed to find their first win of the best-of-seven World Series deep into extra innings, beating the Brewers 4-3.
Milwaukee had headed into the deciding Game 4 with a 3-0 series lead, but for the first time this month, the Brewers couldn’t muster a win.
Rays pinch-hitter Ben Williamson hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning to extend the World Series for at least another day.
Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt looked to have put Milwaukee on the brink of a historic title when the 22-year-old hit the would-be championship home run in the top of the 12th, finally breaking the deadlock and taking the lead.
The Tampa Bay Rays managed to narrowly keep their World Series hopes alive on Tuesday
Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th-inning for a 4-3 win
However, the resilient Rays rallied down to their last three outs – making each one count. Jonny DeLuca found the tying run for Tampa Bay with a single two batters before Williamson stepped up to the plate for the walk-off comeback.
Ahead of the first pitch, the Rays had been left needing to defy historical trends just to keep their chances alive.
Of the 43 previous major league teams to fall behind 3-0 in any best-of-seven postseason series, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox rallied to win four straight games when they beat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
There have been 25 teams that previously took a 3-0 lead in the World Series. Of those, 21 finished the sweep in Game 4, and the remaining four won the series in Game 5.
The Rays, seeking their first World Series title, rallied in the bottom half of the 12th after a throwing error by third baseman Joey Ortiz on Junior Caminero’s leadoff grounder against reliever Antonio Senzatela.
Liam Hicks singled off Shane Drohan, who relieved in his first appearance since October 15, and DeLuca’s single to center drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the score at 3.
Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases and Milwaukee employed a five-man infield with the infield in.
Williamson, who had been 1 for 15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers and into right field.
Brewers rookie Cooper Pratt hit a home run deep into extra innings to take a late lead
Williamson celebrates with his teammates after his game-winning hit
Milwaukee is also seeking its first championship and, just minutes earlier, had looked poised to do so.
Brewers fans have been waiting for their own crowning moment since 1970 – the franchise began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and moved to Milwaukee a year later – and thousands of fans made the trip from Wisconsin to Florida.
Many sported jerseys of blue and gold, some even donned the iconic ‘cheese heads’ of the region’s NFL franchise, the Green Bay Packers, as they sat among the cowbell-ringing Rays crowd on Tuesday night.
However, they were left bitterly disappointed as their potential championship celebrations were postponed until at least Wednesday evening when the series returns to Tropicana Field for Game 5.
Should the Rays win Game 5 and force a sixth, the series would go back to Milwaukee for the remaining two games.
