Brewers' historic fifth-inning surge puts Tampa Bay on the brink of elimination
Milwaukee scored eight runs with two outs, a World Series record, to defeat Tampa Bay 10-1 and take a 3-0 lead.
By Aminata Patterson ·
Robert Gasser retired 14 consecutive batters before allowing his first base hit, anchoring a 10-1 victory for the Milwaukee Brewers over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field. The win gives Milwaukee a 3-0 lead in the World Series, leaving the Rays one loss away from elimination.
The decisive moment arrived in the fifth inning. With two outs, the Brewers recorded seven consecutive hits, a postseason record. It marked the first time in World Series history that a team scored eight runs with two outs in a single inning.
Brice Turang initiated the scoring barrage with a two-run single that bounced off the glove of shortstop Taylor Walls. Walls described the play as a "knife to the chest." Garrett Mitchell followed with a single, and Cooper Pratt hit a two-run double down the left-field line. Sal Frelick added a run-scoring double, extending the lead to 8-0.
Jackson Chourio, who had started the inning with a single and a stolen base, finished 4-for-5 with a double. The 22-year-old became the second-youngest player to record four hits and a stolen base in a World Series game, behind only Ty Cobb in 1908. Manager Pat Murphy praised Chourio for being "tremendous" and "locked in," noting his eight hits across three Series games.
Gasser, a rookie left-hander, faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings. He became the first starter to achieve this feat in a World Series game since Curt Schilling in 2001. He is also the first left-handed pitcher to do so since Sandy Koufax in 1965. Gasser allowed only one hit, a line-drive single to Yandy Díaz, before walking Victor Mesa Jr. to begin the sixth inning.
Tampa Bay's starter, Freddy Peralta, gave up five runs and seven hits in 4.2 innings. Rays manager Kevin Cash noted that Peralta felt good but struggled with inconsistencies in the strike zone. Cash described the team's position as having a "chip and a chair mentality," emphasizing the need to win Tuesday's Game 4.
The Brewers have won eight straight postseason games, tying the record for a single postseason. Milwaukee entered the Series with a 103-win regular season, while Tampa Bay led the American League with 98 wins. The Rays swept the New York Yankees in the Division Series and defeated the Cleveland Guardians in six games in the ALCS.
Brandon Woodruff closed the game in the ninth inning, allowing one run and two hits in his first appearance in three and a half months. He had been sidelined by a shoulder injury that initially required surgical evaluation. The Brewers led the National League in wins and swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
Game 4 will be played Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, where the roof was damaged by Hurricane Milton in October 2024. A sellout crowd of 40,388 attended Monday's game. Griffin Jax is scheduled to pitch for Tampa Bay, while Milwaukee has not announced its starter.
Source: NPR
