Milwaukee closed out Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field behind Jacob Misiorowski to claim the franchise’s first championship in 57 seasons.
The Milwaukee Brewers won their first World Series title in franchise history on Wednesday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
So far, Tampa Bay had reached the matchup after the Rays beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to win the American League pennant, while Milwaukee entered the Fall Classic following a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt gave Milwaukee an early lead with a run-scoring single in the second inning, and starter Jacob Misiorowski tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings before exiting with a calf cramp, Fox Sports reported. Reliever Trevor Megill closed out the ninth inning to seal a 4-1 series victory and conclude the club’s 57-season wait for a championship.
How Milwaukee secured the Game 5 victory
Misiorowski delivered his longest outing of the playoffs on four days of rest, reaching 103 mph on the radar gun twice in his opening at-bat against Yandy Diaz. The 24-year-old right-hander surrendered only two hits and one walk across 86 pitches before a right calf cramp forced his removal with two outs in the sixth inning, according to Fox News.
Milwaukee took advantage against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen early. Pratt singled to center field in the second inning to score the opening run. The Brewers added to the margin in the fifth when David Hamilton delivered an RBI single past a diving defender. In the sixth, Pratt lifted a sacrifice fly and William Contreras doubled home Christian Yelich to push the Brewers ahead 4-0.
Contreras was named series MVP, Deadline reported. Tampa Bay avoided a shutout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning when Chandler Simpson hit an RBI double off Megill to drive in Liam Hicks. Megill then induced a ground ball to second baseman Brice Turang to end the game, finishing off Tampa Bay without allowing further damage while reliever Aaron Ashby waited in the bullpen.
Background on a historic postseason run
Milwaukee posted baseball’s best regular-season record at 103-59, setting a franchise record for victories while carrying a payroll ranked 19th across Major League Baseball at $146 million. Tampa Bay entered the World Series with the AL’s top record and the 28th-ranked payroll at $95.6 million.
The playoff run began in the National League Division Series, where the Brewers beat Padres 3-2 in Game 1 behind home runs from Jackson Chourio and Contreras. Milwaukee went on to eliminate San Diego before sweeping the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
The championship ended a drought dating to the franchise’s debut in Milwaukee in 1970 following its relocation from Seattle, NBC News reported. The Brewers previously reached the World Series in 1982, losing that matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, and had waited 44 years to return to the Fall Classic.
The victory also honored long-time radio announcer Bob Uecker, who called Brewers games for 54 years through 2024. In the postgame clubhouse, manager Pat Murphy shared a message he said he received from Uecker celebrating the state’s first championship team.
Key numbers and series milestones
Pratt set a World Series record for rookies by recording hits in six consecutive at-bats, stretching from Game 4 through the fifth inning of Game 5. Pratt also drove in a run in four straight games, matching Juan Soto’s 2019 mark for players under the age of 23.
Milwaukee dominated production from the lower third of the batting order. The Brewers’ seventh, eighth and ninth hitters combined for three home runs and 12 RBIs in the series, while Tampa Bay’s bottom three spots generated one RBI and no home runs.
After the final out, players reflected on the accomplishment on the television broadcast.
“I don’t even have words,” Misiorowski said.
Yelich, who along with reliever Brandon Woodruff remained from Milwaukee’s 2018 squad, added: “Best feeling ever.”
