Home BASEBALL MLB MLB Recap: Tampa Bay Stuns Milwaukee With Game 4 Walk-Off in Extras

MLB Recap: Tampa Bay Stuns Milwaukee With Game 4 Walk-Off in Extras

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Tampa Bay Vs Brewers
Rays rally in game 4 to stay alive with walk-off win

Tampa Bay's season was down to its final three outs in the 12th inning. Three hits, a bases-loaded single, and a wild walk-off later, the Rays stunned Milwaukee 4-3 to dodge the sweep and send the World Series back for at least one more game.


Brewers fall in extras as Rays force World Series game 5...


Facing a sweep and just three outs from elimination, the Tampa Bay Rays mounted a 12th-inning rally capped by Ben Williamson's walk-off hit to save their season with a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4.


The Rays entered Tuesday's Game 4 at Tropicana Field still searching for their first win of the World Series. After putting up a fight in Game 2, they were thoroughly dominated by the Brewers on Monday, leaving much of the baseball world bracing for a sweep.


Though the Brewers paced the National League with 103 wins this season, the Rays led the American League, proving they know how to deal with adversity. And if they were going to win their first World Series in 2026, they would need every ounce of that resilience over the next four games.


Game 4 got off to a promising start for Tampa Bay, as speedster Chandler Simpson opened the scoring for the hosts in the bottom of the second. He lined a double into the right-field corner to score Jonny DeLuca all the way from first and give his team a much-needed 1-0 lead.




If the Rays were going to turn this series around, their starting pitching needed to rebound after a couple of rough outings. In Game 4 they turned to Griffin Jax, who quickly found his groove, allowing just three baserunners while holding Milwaukee scoreless through the first three innings.


But with the depth and balance in Milwaukee's lineup, it was a question of when, not if, they would respond. That answer came in the top of the fourth, when shortstop Cooper Pratt delivered the equalizer, doubling home Sal Frelick to level the game at 1-1.




Milwaukee's defense, which had been outstanding during its 10-1 start to the postseason, let the Brewers down in the bottom half of the inning. After a slow, low-scoring opening, the game began to open up as the teams started trading runs.


This time it was Jonny DeLuca who put the ball in play on a fielder's choice, and third baseman David Hamilton's throwing error allowed Tampa Bay to reclaim a much-needed 2-1 lead as the Rays looked to create some separation from the red-hot Brewers.




The back-and-forth continued in the top of the fifth, as Tampa Bay's second lead of the night lasted less than half an inning. Milwaukee showed its resilience again, answering right back to keep the pressure on the Rays.


Ationing for his earlier error, Hamilton made amends with a solo shot to right field that tied it at 2-2, proving once more that whether it's small ball or the long ball, this Brewers lineup is as balanced, resilient and dangerous as any in baseball.




It became a bullpen battle from that point on.


Milwaukee got just 3 innings from Dustin May, who allowed 2 runs on 3 hits before handing it over. Griffin Jax gave Tampa Bay exactly what it needed with 4 solid innings to keep them in position for their first win of the Fall Classic.


With everything on the line, the Rays even went to Game 1 starter Nick Martinez in relief - a clear sign of how desperate they are to fight back from down 3-0, one win at a time.


That strategy paid off for Tampa Bay, as Martinez and Bryan Baker delivered in high-leverage spots. With Milwaukee countering with the best arms in its own bullpen, the game went to the 9th still locked at 2-2, with the World Series hanging on every pitch in the final frame. In clutch fashion, the Rays cut down the potential winning run at second base, and with Aaron Ashby dominant again on the mound, the game went to extras.


In the process, Ashby made MLB history. His 16.2 scoreless innings to open the postseason set a new record, and with another shutdown inning in the bottom of the ninth, he extended that streak to 17.2 consecutive scoreless innings this October.




Offense was hard to come by for two full extra innings, with both bullpens refusing to budge.


Then, after already going 3-for-4 on the night, young shortstop Cooper Pratt stepped up again. In the top of the 12th, he launched a go-ahead solo home run to put Milwaukee on top 3-2 - easily the biggest swing of his career so far.




It left Tampa Bay with just three outs left to save its season. After Milwaukee rolled to a 10-1 win on Tuesday night, the momentum was entirely on the Brewers' side, and any comeback would have to be monumental.



But the bottom of the 12th started exactly how the Rays needed. Another Brewers defensive miscue opened the door, and Liam Hicks and Jonny DeLuca made them pay with consecutive hits, knotting the game at 3-3 and putting Tampa Bay in position to win it right there.




Next up, Chandler Simpson singled to load the bases with nobody out, making a Tampa Bay win feel almost inevitable. After being quiet most of the night, the Rays offense came alive in the biggest moment, outlasting some of Milwaukee's best arms.




Then, on the very first pitch, Ben Williamson lifted a high chopper into right field for the walk-off winner. The series is far from tied, but the crowd in Tampa Bay erupted as the Rays took Game 4, keeping their season alive for at least one more night.



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