Rays hit 12th-inning homer to force Game 6
Tampa Bay cut a 3-0 deficit with a 4-3 walk-off win, becoming the fifth team in history to win Game 4 after falling behind by three games.
By Grace Almasi ·
Ben Williamson hit a 4-3 walk-off single in the 12th inning on Tuesday night to keep the Tampa Bay Rays alive in the World Series. The victory at Tropicana Field prevented a sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers and cut the series deficit to 3-1. Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Tropicana Field.
The rally followed a tying error by Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz. Ortiz bobbled a grounder from Junior Caminero, allowing the runner to advance. Liam Hicks followed with a single, and Jonny DeLuca drove in Cedric Mullins to tie the score at three. Chandler Simpson then loaded the bases with a single. Williamson, who had been 1-for-15 in the postseason, hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers to bring in Nick Fortes.
Manager Kevin Cash said the team needed everyone to contribute to survive the 3-0 hole. "We've put ourselves in a position, or the Brewers have put us in this position, where we're going to need everybody to be able to contribute," Cash said. He credited pitcher Nick Martinez with maintaining team morale after Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the 12th. Martinez pitched two scoreless innings in relief and struck out one batter.
Caminero left the game with an ailing left foot but said he will play Wednesday. Cash confirmed the All-Star will suit up. "He'll play tomorrow on one leg. I'll make sure of it," Cash said. The Rays became the fifth of 26 teams to win Game 4 after trailing 3-0 in the World Series. The previous four teams lost Game 5. Only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have recovered from a 3-0 hole in a best-of-seven postseason series.
Cooper Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie, hit a slider into the left-field seats off Ian Seymour to put Milwaukee ahead 3-2. It was his fourth hit of the game and the first extra-inning home run by a rookie in World Series history. Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby broke Andrew Miller's record for scoreless innings in a single postseason. Ashby retired all nine batters in the ninth, 10th, and 11th innings, extending his scoreless streak to 18 innings.
Milwaukee had won its previous eight games and was attempting to become the second team to sweep both the League Championship Series and the World Series. The crowd of 40,514 included many Brewers fans waving yellow towels. David Hamilton also homered for Milwaukee. Jackson Chourio went 2-for-4, improving his series batting average. The series returns to Tampa Bay for Game 5, with the next two games in Milwaukee if necessary.
