The Milwaukee Brewers were three outs away from baseball immortality on Monday night, only to watch a World Series championship evaporate in a chaotic twelfth inning. In a game defined by extreme swings of emotion, the Brew Crew seemed destined for glory when rookie sensation Cooper Pratt launched a towering 396 foot home run to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead in the top of the twelfth. With Pratt recording a historic four hits in the contest, the atmosphere shifted toward celebration as the Brewers took the field needing just three final outs to secure the first world title in franchise history.
However, the dream collapsed quickly during a nightmare half-inning that began with a costly defensive lapse. A throwing error by Joey Ortiz allowed the Rays to start the frame with a runner on, setting off a chain reaction of misfortune for the Milwaukee pitching staff. After Liam Hicks and Jonny DeLuca both singled to put runners at the corners, reliever Shane Drohan entered the game under immense pressure. The experience proved overwhelming for Drohan, who struggled to find his rhythm and surrendered four consecutive singles, mirroring a collapse seen earlier in the series.
The final blow came via pinch hitter Ben Williamson, whose clutch single drove in the winning run to cap off a four run rally for Tampa Bay. The victory gave the Rays a 4-3 win and forced a decisive Game 5, leaving Milwaukee fans stunned after such proximity to success. While it was a devastating conclusion to Game 4, the Brewers still hold hope moving forward into tomorrow’s finale with ace Jacob Misiorowski waiting in reserve to help salvage their season.
