Brewers Offense Erupts, Seizing 3-0 Series Lead
Milwaukee's lineup scored eight runs in the fifth inning, moving within one victory of the franchise's first championship.
By Fatou Mitchell ·
The Milwaukee Brewers pushed their offense to a level not seen in decades, overwhelming Tampa Bay in a single frame to seize control of the World Series. Milwaukee's bats exploded for eight runs in the fifth inning on Monday night, securing a 10-1 victory at Tropicana Field. The win gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the series, placing them one victory away from the organization's first championship. Milwaukee, which led the majors with 103 wins, had previously swept the Dodgers in the NLCS.
Robert Gasser dominated on the mound, holding Tampa Bay to one hit through six innings of work. The rookie left-hander faced the minimum 18 batters during that span, a feat not accomplished by a World Series starter since Curt Schilling in 2001. Gasser surrendered a leadoff single to Yandy Díaz, then retired 14 consecutive batters before issuing a walk in the sixth. Milwaukee's pitching staff limited the Rays to one run, while Brandon Woodruff closed out the game in the ninth, his first appearance in three and a half months.
Jackson Chourio recorded four hits in five at-bats, including a double and a stolen base, becoming the second-youngest player to achieve that combination in a World Series game. Brice Turang contributed three hits and drove in two runs, while William Contreras also collected three hits. The Brewers collected 16 hits against Freddy Peralta and five relievers. Peralta, the ALCS MVP, exited after 4 2/3 innings having allowed five runs on seven hits.
Milwaukee's fifth inning began with two outs and no runners on base. Jackson Chourio singled and stole second, but the inning appeared to end when Junior Caminero fielded a grounder and threw to second. A replay review overturned the call at second, extending the inning. Brice Turang followed with a two-run single, and the Brewers sent 12 batters to the plate, recording seven consecutive hits with two outs. The rally produced eight two-out runs, the first time that has occurred in World Series history.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy praised Chourio's performance, saying, "He was tremendous. Locked in. Gives us a big lift." Rays manager Kevin Cash addressed the deficit facing his team, stating, "It's kind of that chip and a chair mentality. We've got a seat at the table. We've got to do something with the chip." Taylor Walls, whose error extended the fifth inning, described the turn of events as "Knife to the chest."
Tampa Bay entered the series having led the American League with 98 wins, but the club has never won a World Series in 29 seasons. Milwaukee, originally the Seattle Pilots for the 1969 season, has not appeared in the Fall Classic since losing Game 7 to St. Louis in 1982. The Rays are attempting to overcome a 3-0 deficit; of the 43 previous MLB teams to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox rallied to win.
Griffin Jax is scheduled to start for Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. Milwaukee has not yet announced its starter for Game 4.
