The Tampa Bay Rays refused to go quietly. Down to their final outs, facing a sweep and the end of their season, the Rays rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning on Tuesday night, October 27, 2026, to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in Game 4 of the World Series at Tropicana Field. The champagne stayed on ice in Milwaukee. The series is not over — and Game 5 is tonight.
The short version: Milwaukee still leads the best-of-seven series 3-1, and the Brewers remain one win from their first World Series title. But Tampa Bay, which had lost the first three games and trailed 3-2 in the 12th, is alive — and it got there in the most dramatic way possible, with a walk-off single from a pinch hitter.
How the 12th inning unfolded
Milwaukee looked home. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt, who finished with four hits, launched a solo home run to lead off the top of the 12th, giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead. Pratt’s night was historic on its own: his four-hit game made him the first rookie with four hits in a World Series clinching game, according to local coverage, and he had already driven in a run with a double in the fourth.
Then Milwaukee’s bullpen — dominant all postseason — cracked. Junior Caminero reached base to open the bottom of the 12th on a throwing error by Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz. Reliever Shane Drohan replaced Antonio Senzatela and did not retire a batter. Liam Hicks singled to put runners on the corners, Jonny DeLuca singled up the middle to tie the game 3-3, Chandler Simpson singled to load the bases, and pinch hitter Ben Williamson bounced a single into right field to score the winning run.
“Just shows the resiliency of this group,” Williamson said afterwards. “We continue to fight and that’s been the motto this series and this whole season.”
How the rest of the game played out
Tampa Bay scored first, when DeLuca hustled home on Simpson’s RBI double in the second inning. Milwaukee tied it in the fourth on Pratt’s RBI double, and David Hamilton’s solo home run leading off the fifth made it 2-2 after an earlier Milwaukee miscue. Simpson also made a leaping catch at the wall in the ninth to keep the game tied, a defensive play that now looks like the moment the series turned.
One injury watch for Game 5: Caminero left the Game 4 win limping after bursting from first to third on Hicks’ single in the 12th, and he was replaced by pinch runner Cedric Mullins. Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the game: “He’ll play tomorrow with one leg. I’ll make sure of it.” His status was not immediately confirmed, so treat Cash’s line as bravado, not a medical update.
Game 5 tonight: what to watch
Game 5 is tonight, Wednesday, October 28, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, live on FOX. Milwaukee needs one win; Tampa Bay needs three in a row, starting tonight, with the series returning to Milwaukee if the Rays force a Game 6. History still favours the Brewers heavily — no team has ever come back from 3-0 down in a World Series, and Tampa Bay is now trying to become the first to win from 3-1 down since the odds were this steep — but Game 4 proved this Rays team does not fold.
Key takeaways
- Game 4 result: Rays 4, Brewers 3, in 12 innings, Tuesday, October 27, at Tropicana Field.
- Hero: pinch hitter Ben Williamson’s walk-off single in the 12th, after Pratt’s go-ahead homer for Milwaukee.
- Series: Milwaukee leads 3-1; Tampa Bay avoided a sweep in the fourth extra-inning elimination escape in World Series history, per USA Today.
- Game 5: tonight, Wednesday, October 28, at Tampa Bay, on FOX.
- Watch: Junior Caminero’s leg injury after he limped off in the 12th.
Bottom line: Milwaukee was three outs from a championship celebration. Instead, Tampa Bay gets one more night at home — and a series that looked finished suddenly has a pulse.
