As soon as he swung his bat, Cooper Pratt knew he had it. He had just smacked a hanging sweeper from Ian Seymour deep to left-center field, and the 22-year-old shortstop watched it fly as he moved out of the batter’s box. 

The ball sailed into the stands as the Brewers’ dugout, along with about half of the crowd at Tropicana Field, erupted in delirium. Pratt, the unlikeliest of heroes, had just put Milwaukee ahead 3–2 in the top of the 12th inning, leaving them three outs from their first World Series championship. 

COOPER PRATT PUTS THE BREWERS ON THE DOORSTEP! pic.twitter.com/jZejkshf9G

— MLB (@MLB) October 28, 2026

Pratt touched home plate and was greeted with a raucous celebration in the dugout. A rookie who had hit just three home runs all season had seemingly delivered the crowning moment of Milwaukee’s remarkable season. One swing had the Brewers preparing to celebrate. 

Not 20 minutes later, they were preparing for Game 5. 

The Rays, who hadn’t offered much resistance at the plate through the first three-plus games of the series, finally came to life. It was as if Pratt’s blast woke them up.

Star slugger Junior Caminero led off the bottom of the 12th and grounded a ball to Milwaukee’s elite defensive third baseman Joey Ortiz. He collected it and fired to first, but short-armed the throw, and first baseman Jake Bauers couldn’t dig it out. Caminero reached, but appeared to injure himself in the process. 

Lefty Shane Drohan entered the game to face Liam Hicks, who grounded a single to left-center field. Caminero, still visibly struggling, reached third base before being replaced by Cedric Mullins. Jonny DeLuca followed and fell behind Drohan 1-and-2. With the infield drawn in, he ripped a 90 mph cutter right back up the middle to score Mullins and tie the game 3–3. Nick Fortes pinch ran for Hicks at second before Chandler Simpson followed with a single to load the bases.

Suddenly, the Rays had the sacks packed with no one out and the home crowd on their side. Ben Williamson, who entered the game 1-for-15 in the playoffs, pinch hit for Victor Mesa Jr. Drohan greeted him with a 96 mph sinker, and Williamson pounded it into the turf, sending a chopper over Bauers’ head at first as pinch runner Nick Fortes raced home to secure Tampa Bay’s most improbable win of the postseason. 

The Rays aren’t dead yet. 

Here is the full Rays rally that forced a World Series Game 5! pic.twitter.com/igyyvWxKk4

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 28, 2026

For the first 38 innings of this series, Tampa Bay had looked nothing like the team that won the American League. In the final inning of Game 4, the Rays we were expecting finally showed up.

The Rays have hurt themselves in this series. They lost Game 1 after costly baserunning decisions and squandered a 4–0 lead in Game 2 before getting demolished 10–0 in Game 3. This time, they turned the tables on Milwaukee. 

The Brewers rarely beat themselves, but that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday night. Ortiz is an outstanding third baseman, but his error opened the door for Tampa Bay’s comeback. 

Before Drohan entered, Milwaukee’s bullpen had thrown eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out seven. It was yet another brilliant night for a ‘pen that has dominated the postseason. Drohan hadn’t thrown a pitch since Oct. 15, when he allowed a run on a hit and two walks against the Dodgers. The Rays finally had a chance against a less trusted reliever, and they took advantage, ripping off four consecutive hits to stage their dramatic comeback.

Tampa Bay finally beat Milwaukee at its own game, using the entire roster to secure a win. Kevin Cash emptied his bench to get this one done. Yes, sluggers Caminero and Hicks got things started in the 12th, but role players Mullins, DeLuca, Simpson and Fortes all played big parts in the inning. And Williamson, who was 0-for-7 with a strikeout in the World Series, delivered the season’s biggest hit off the bench. It was the kind of collective effort that had defined Tampa Bay’s season, but had been missing throughout the World Series. 

What happened Tuesday night changes the tenor of the series, but the Rays have a long road back. They’re down 3–1, and no team has ever completed the comeback they’re attempting in the World Series. The Brewers have been baseball’s best team all season and haven’t dropped four games in a row since April 25. They haven’t even lost consecutive games since Sept. 6. The odds remain stacked against Tampa Bay, but there’s now some hope after they appeared to have none entering Tuesday.

The Brewers arrived at Game 4 looking for a coronation. After Pratt’s stunning home run, they could practically taste the champagne. A few minutes later, they were left wondering where it all went wrong. 

The Rays have a pulse, and we’ve got a series.