MILWAUKEE — Brewers Stun Rays in World Series Game 2
In a dramatic turn of events, Sal Frelick hit his first home run in three months, tying the game, and Cooper Pratt followed with a go-ahead single in the seventh inning, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a surprising 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night. This marked the Brewers’ second consecutive comeback from a four-run deficit this postseason, giving them a 2-0 lead in the World Series.
The Rays, who have relied on causing errors from their opponents to secure wins, had a rough night defensively. They committed one error and had two additional misplays, not to mention a runner getting thrown out at home by Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio.
After falling behind 4-0 in the first inning, Milwaukee managed to rally for their seventh comeback victory this postseason. Interestingly enough, they had previously overcome a similar four-run deficit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series to complete a four-game sweep.
“As long as there’s a game left, we have a chance,” Pratt reflected. “I think we all believe in that. We’re never out of it.”
Following a narrow loss in the series opener, the Rays initially surged ahead against rookie Logan Henderson. However, Milwaukee quickly responded, scoring two runs against Tampa Bay’s ace Drew Rasmussen in the bottom of the first.
David Hamilton chipped away at the deficit with a grounder that brought in a run in the fourth, while Frelick launched a fastball over the center-field fence after an intense nine-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning.
It was quite a while since Frelick had last hit a home run—103 plate appearances to be exact, with his previous one coming on July 11 against the Pirates. “I was just pumped to try to get back to the dugout,” the 5-foot-9 Frelick admitted, adding that it’s not often he hits a home run, especially to center field.
The atmosphere at the stadium was electric, reminiscent of Milwaukee’s first World Series appearance since 1982. Fans joined in the spirited celebration during the seventh-inning stretch, dancing to lively polka music performed by a local accordionist.
Brice Turang started the Brewers’ pivotal seventh inning with a double against losing pitcher Tyler Wells and advanced on a flyout, ultimately scoring on Pratt’s single into right field.
“We’ve been down early quite a bit in the playoffs,” Frelick noted. “But with nine innings left, it doesn’t change our offensive approach. We keep chipping away, taking our swings, passing it to the next guy, and hope that leads to more runs.”
Abner Uribe was effective on the mound, delivering 1 1/3 hitless innings to earn the win.
In the ninth, Jonny DeLuca managed a double off Aaron Ashby, but the Rays couldn’t capitalize. After a strikeout and a groundout advanced the runner, Yandy Díaz was called out as well, ending the game with Ashby securing his third postseason save without allowing a run.
“We didn’t play our best baseball today,” admitted Rays manager Kevin Cash. “We usually take pride in supporting our pitchers and making the right plays. Today wasn’t our finest moment.”
Milwaukee’s impressive victory marked their seventh consecutive win, making them the fifth team to overcome four-run deficits multiple times in a single postseason—the first since Philadelphia did it in 2022.
Game 3 in this quest for a first championship title is scheduled for Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the Brewers last played in 2023.
Historically, 46 of the 57 teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series have gone on to win the championship.
In a high-scoring first inning, the Rays took an early 4-2 lead, marking the most hits combined in the opening frame since 1993.
Henderson, starting on 11 days’ rest, struggled early on, giving up four runs in three innings, while Rasmussen had a less-than-stellar performance himself, allowing three runs and six hits over 3 2/3 innings.
Pratt made his fourth error of the postseason, leading to further scoring opportunities for Tampa Bay, who capitalized on Milwaukee’s mistakes. However, the Brewers bounced back, demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity.
“We’ve definitely made some base running errors, it’s been a bit rough,” Cash admitted. “But to their credit, they’ve responded well to the challenges we’ve thrown at them in these first two games.”
