Brewers defeat Rays to claim first franchise title

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday night to win their first World Series title.

Jacob Misiorowski threw five and two-thirds scoreless innings for the champions. Rookie Cooper Pratt recorded two hits and two runs batted in. The victory ended the Rays' pursuit of a series comeback and secured the trophy for Milwaukee.

The Brewers represented the smallest market in Major League Baseball. Their win marks the first championship for a franchise that began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 and moved to Milwaukee in 1970. The team's only previous World Series appearance occurred in 1982. In that year, the Brewers lost Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals after surrendering a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning.

Christian Yelich, the Milwaukee captain, addressed the crowd at Tropicana Field after the final out. He noted that the city had waited a long time for this moment. He expressed happiness about bringing the title home to the fans.

Manager Pat Murphy, who is 67 years old, spoke about the team's unity. He said the 2026 group would be remembered forever because they cared about each other rather than individual statistics. Murphy survived a heart attack in 2020 and won the National League Manager of the Year award in his first two full seasons with the club.

William Contreras, the World Series Most Valuable Player, hit an RBI double. Misiorowski allowed two hits before leaving the game due to a right calf cramp. He received a standing ovation from the Brew-Crew, the fan group that occupied the section behind the Milwaukee dugout for the final three games.

Pratt set a Series rookie record by hitting in six consecutive games before his at-bat in the sixth inning. He made his major league debut in June. He described the experience as surreal, noting it had only been four months since his arrival in the big leagues. Jackson Chourio set a five-game Series record with 11 hits.

Trevor Megill closed the game by retiring Richie Palacios on a ground ball to second base. The Brewers finished the regular season with 103 wins, the most in the majors. They went 11-2 in the postseason, including a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

The series featured a low number of home runs, with the teams combining for just four. The Brewers scored 32.1 percent of their runs on home runs, a major league low. Tampa Bay was second lowest at 34.4 percent, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Owner Mark Attanasio told fans from the postgame stage that Milwaukee had waited 44 years for the championship. The Rays dropped to 0-3 in their World Series history. They had previously lost in 2008 and 2020. Only the Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers have lost in their first three series appearances, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said the team was hurt but grateful for how they carried themselves all season. He called it one of the closest groups he has been around. The Brewers' win occurs while owners push for a salary cap to help small-market teams. A potential lockout could start on Dec. 2.

This was the first World Series since 1991 between teams in the bottom half of payrolls. The Brewers ranked 19th in payroll as of Aug. 31, while the Rays ranked 25th. The Brewers previously won a championship in 1957 as the Milwaukee Braves, who later moved to Atlanta.