Since the Wild Card and expanded Postseason era (1995-present), only seven teams that finished the regular season with the best record in Major League Baseball have won the World Series. The Brewers (103-59) joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as the second team in this decade to do so, the same Dodgers team that won the 2020 World Series by defeating none other than the Rays.
Milwaukee swept the Dodgers in this year's National League Championship Series, becoming the first team in Postseason history to sweep the team that swept them in the previous Postseason. They finished the 2026 Postseason with an 11-2 record, outscoring opponents 59-33.
Meanwhile, the Rays now fall to 0-3 in their World Series appearances in franchise history. This is now the second time they've lost the Fall Classic in five games (2008 - Philadelphia Phillies).
Game recap and highlights
It didn't take long for the Brewers' bats to get going after a scoreless first inning. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen gave up a double to Brice Turang and hit Sal Frelick to put runners on first and second with one out in the top of the second.
Then, the red-hot Cooper Pratt smacked an RBI double to make it 1-0 in the second.
Rasmussen ended the inning by striking out Garrett Mitchell.
Nothing got going in the third inning for either side outside of Jake Bauers making a diving play at first. And it wouldn't be the first great play from Bauers on the night.
Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski faced trouble for the first time in the bottom of the fourth.
Chandler Simpson singled to right, but advanced Hicks to third and legged it out to second himself after Frelick bobbled the ball with two outs.
But the Brewers' ace got Ben Williamson to ground out thanks to a perfect play by Bauers at first to end the inning.
Rays manager Kevin Cash took out Rasmussen after four innings of work, giving up just the one run on two hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
That's when the Brewers immediately took advantage.
Kevin Kelly came in to pitch for Rasmussen and forced Frelick into a grounder for the first out of the fifth inning. In the next at-bat, Pratt proceeded to set the record for most consecutive hits (6) by a rookie in a World Series with a single.
Mitchell advanced him to third with a single before David Hamilton brought him home with a single of his own to make it 2-0. It marked the fourth straight game this World Series that Hamilton had recorded at least one RBI.
Chourio was K'd up for the second out of the inning, marking his third of the game and a new Postseason career high. But the starting left fielder rebounded and racked up another hit in the seventh.
He finished the World Series going 11-for-20 (.550) at the plate with two doubles, two RBI, and two stolen bases. In 13 total Postseason games, Chourio went hitless in only three of them, one of which he still got an RBI.
Tampa brought in Garrett Cleavinger to face Jake Bauers as he struck him out to minimize further damage. Cleavinger had pitched in only two games this Postseason - both in the World Series - bringing his stats to a total of two no-hit innings with two strikeouts.
Well, that all came to an end with the next three batters he faced.
Cleavinger started the sixth inning by hitting Yelich. William Contreras brought him home with an RBI double down the left field line to put the Brewers up 3-0. Turang singled to left, advancing Contreras to third, initiating another Rays pitching change.
Cash brought in Tyler Wells to keep the Brewers from tacking on any more runs. That also didn't work.
Turang stole second with no outs before Pratt hit a sacrifice fly to Ryan Vilade as Contreras slid home for the Brewers' fourth run of the game (4-0). Fans and broadcasters alike questioned both the choice to pitch to Pratt and Vilade's decision to make the out in foul territory and to try to throw out Contreras at home.
Pratt's seven RBI this World Series tie 1951 Gil McDougald for the most ever by a rookie since the stat started to be tracked in 1920.
Wells walked Mitchell to put runners at the corners with two outs, ultimately ending his short night. Steven Matz was brought in to finish the inning.
Three batters later, Misiorowski received a standing ovation from Brewers fans who traveled down to the Trop as he walked off the field for the last time this season due to a cramp in his right leg.
Misiorowski became the first starting pitcher since Orel Hershiser in 1988 to finish off a Cy Young season with a World Series clincher. His night unfortunately came to an end after 5.2 innings of work due to dealing with a cramp in his right leg.
He gave up just two hits and one walk with two strikeouts on 86 pitches (58 strikes).
JoJo Romero came on in relief and got Hicks out to end the sixth. Matz proceeded to do the same with ease atop the seventh.
Simpson reached second yet again on an error after Contreras overthrew Bauers, trying to get him out at first on a blooper in front of the plate. Leaving the game's most lethal baserunner on second with one out.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy brought in Abner Uribe for Romero and got out of it unscathed.
Bryan Baker came in for Matz and tossed a shutout top of the eighth inning. Trevor Megill, who went five-for-five in saves for the Brewers this Postseason, came on in the eighth as he eyed a two-inning save to send home the Brewers as champions.
A diving catch from Chourio in left, a flyout to Frelick in right, and striking out Jonathan Aranda in 1-2-3 fashion put the Brewers just three outs away from the title.
Ian Seymour took to the mound for Baker and sent the Brewers down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to give the Rays one last chance.
Unfortunately for the American League's best, that was all she wrote as Megill completed the two-out save. Hicks gave the Rays some life with a one-out double, but Megill got Jonny DeLuca out on strikes to make it two outs.
Simpson doubled to right to bring in Hicks, as he remained the best bat in the Rays lineup during the World Series to make it 4-1.
But Megill bounced back and finished things off as the Brewers claimed their first World Series title.
Thank you to everyone out there who followed us for another incredible baseball season!
