Rays force World Series decider after 12th-inning comeback in St. Petersburg

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash sent a message to his bench that would prove decisive in the final minutes of the World Series. With the series on the line, the Rays executed a 2-run rally in the 12th inning to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. The victory forced a decisive Game 5 and snapped an eight-game winning streak for Milwaukee, which had entered the game seeking its first championship.

The Brewers held a 3-2 lead entering the extra frames, having secured the advantage in the top of the 12th. Cooper Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie, hit a tiebreaking home run off Ian Seymour for his fourth hit of the game. The drive into the left-field seats capped a night where Pratt had also tied the score at 1 with an RBI double in the second inning. He became the first rookie to hit an extra-inning home run in World Series history.

Tampa Bay responded in the bottom half after a defensive miscue by Milwaukee third baseman Joey Ortiz. Junior Caminero grounded out to Ortiz on a leadoff play, but Ortiz's throw to first baseman Jake Bauers bounced past him. Liam Hicks followed with a single off rookie left-hander Shane Drohan, who had not appeared since Oct. 15. DeLuca then singled to center field, driving in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the game at 3.

With the bases loaded and Milwaukee playing a five-man infield, pinch-hitter Ben Williamson stepped in for Victor Mesa Jr. Williamson, who had gone 1 for 15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over Bauers into right field to give Tampa Bay the lead. Cash later told reporters he had instructed Williamson to swing hard at everything, a strategy that resulted in the winning run.

The Rays became the fourth team in World Series history to avoid elimination with an extra-inning comeback, according to OptaSTATS. The previous three teams to pull off such a feat, the 1912 Red Sox, the 1986 Mets, and the 2011 Cardinals, all went on to win the championship. Tampa Bay also became the fifth team in 26 years to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0 in the World Series.

Caminero left the game with a left foot injury after twisting his ankle while attempting to avoid a tag, but he said he will play in Game 5. Cash confirmed the All-Star slugger would return to the lineup. The Brewers will start Jacob Misiorowski, the National League Cy Young Award favorite, in Wednesday night's game at Tropicana Field. Cash said he had not yet decided on his starting pitcher for Tampa Bay.

Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich acknowledged the difficulty of the moment, stating that winning a championship requires surviving hard times. The Brewers, who were aiming to become the second team to sweep both a League Championship Series and a World Series, now face a best-of-seven decider. The crowd of 40,514 included many Milwaukee fans waving yellow towels, adding a distinct atmosphere to the Florida venue.

David Hamilton homered for Milwaukee, hitting an 0-2 fastball into the right-field seats. Jackson Chourio collected a single and a double, improving to 10 for 20 in the series. The Rays returned to their white home jerseys for this game, a change from the Devil Rays throwbacks they wore in the previous contest.