Tampa Bay Rays force Game 5 with 12th-inning rally over Brewers

Jonny DeLuca and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled home runs in the 12th inning on Tuesday night, allowing the Tampa Bay Rays to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 and force a World Series Game 5.

The victory ended an eight-game winning streak for Milwaukee, which had entered the game seeking its first championship and a sweep of the series. The Rays, also chasing a first title, survived a 2-0 deficit late in the game.

Cooper Pratt hit a tiebreaking home run off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th. It was the fourth hit of the game for the 22-year-old rookie, who drove a slider into the left-field seats. Milwaukee had taken a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning when Garrett Mitchell, known in the source as Frelick, hit a two-out single and scored on Pratt's double.

Rays manager Kevin Cash credited a defensive error by third baseman Joey Ortiz on Junior Caminero's leadoff grounder for starting the rally. Liam Hicks singled to load the bases, and DeLuca's single to center drove in pinch-runner Cedric Mullins to tie the score at 3.

With the bases loaded and Milwaukee employing a five-man infield, Williamson hit a chopper over first baseman Jake Bauers into right field to win the game. Williamson had been 1 for 15 in the postseason prior to the at-bat.

According to OptaSTATS, Tampa Bay became the fourth team in World Series history to avoid elimination with an extra-inning comeback. The previous three teams, the 1912 Red Sox, 1986 Mets, and 2011 Cardinals, all went on to win the championship. Only five of 26 teams that trailed 3-0 in the World Series won Game 4, and the previous four lost Game 5.

Caminero left the game with an ailing left foot but said he will play Wednesday night. Cash confirmed the All-Star slugger will return to the lineup. Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at Tropicana Field, where the Brewers are expected to start Jacob Misiorowski.

Milwaukee pitcher David Hamilton homered in the loss. Jackson Chourio went 1 for 4 with a single and a double, improving to 10 for 20 in the Series. The crowd of 40,514 watched as the Rays returned to their white home jerseys after playing in throwback uniforms the previous day.