Cooper Pratt's go-ahead home run in the 12th inning of Game 4 of the World Series had seemingly given the Milwaukee Brewers their first-ever World Series title. All the Brewers had to do was record three outs against a Tampa Bay Rays lineup that had looked lifeless for much of the series, and they had arguably the best pitcher on the planet, Jacob Misiorowski, on their roster to turn to.

Manager Pat Murphy didn't give Misiorowski the ball, though, instead turning to Antonio Senzatela and rookie Shane Drohan. Brewers fans know how that ended. They didn't record a single out, and the Rays walked it off, extending the series to Game 5. As bad a decision as not using Misiorowski might seem, here's why it made sense.

Brewers were and still are in complete command of the series

Context matters. If the Brewers were in the Rays' position, using Misiorowski would've been a no-brainer. There's a reason why the Rays used expected Game 5 starter Nick Martinez for two innings. They needed to keep their season alive and were willing to do everything possible, even if it meant burning Martinez and their entire pitching staff, to do so.

But the Brewers weren't in this position. They were up three games to none in this best-of-seven series. Why did they have to be desperate to win this game? Why bother going overboard and using Misiorowski when, at worst, you're still up three games to one with Misiorowski rested and ready to go for Game 5?

There's no way of knowing how Jacob Misiorowski would've done

Even if, for whatever reason, Murphy decided to use Misiorowski to close out Game 4, who knows how he would've done? Misiorowski, a pitcher who has already blown past his previous career-high in innings and hasn't looked quite as dominant this postseason, would be entering this game out of the bullpen, which is something he hadn't done all year, in the biggest pressure moment of his career.

Might Misiorowski have gotten through that unscathed? Perhaps. But what if something went awry? What if he failed to shut the door? That would've impacted their plans for Game 5. Why, when, again, they'd be up three games to one at worst, would they risk using Misiorowski in an abnormal spot when they can just use him on full rest the next night?

Had the Brewers been up by more runs later in the game, as Murphy noted, perhaps using Misiorowski would've made sense. But with a one-run lead and the Brewers in full control no matter what, using Misiorowski in relief made no sense, especially when looking at the state of the Rays' pitching staff.

Jacob Misiorowski is fully rested, while the Rays' pitching staff is in shambles

The Brewers now have Misiorowski on full rest, ready to go with a chance to win the World Series against a Rays pitching staff that is a complete mess. Misiorowski hasn't had a postseason to remember, but he still allowed just one run in five innings in a Game 1 Brewers win and, of course, is a lock to win the NL Cy Young award. Shouldn't the Brewers trust that guy on full rest to win them a baseball game on Wednesday?

This especially feels like the case when I have no idea what the Rays are going to do pitching-wise. Can Martinez still throw after giving two innings yesterday? Perhaps, but he won't have a full starter's workload. Might the Rays try to steal an inning or two out of a guy like Freddy Peralta? Maybe. Would the Rays use Drew Rasmussen, a pitcher with a lengthy injury history, on three days' rest? I doubt it, but maybe for an inning.

They don't have any rested starting pitchers, and their bullpen isn't in great shape either. Bryan Baker's velocity has been down in the World Series and he just threw more than an inning for the third time all year in Game 4 — is he even available? Tyler Wells and Cam Booser have pitched in back-to-back days; will they be available and/or effective for a third? Ian Seymour threw 32 pitches yesterday; how many can he throw in Game 5? The only relievers the Rays didn't use in Game 4 are Cole Sulser, Garrett Cleavinger and Steven Matz, the three worst relievers in their bullpen.

The Brewers' bullpen is tired too, but Misiorowski is fully rested and capable of shutting any team down. The Rays don't have a single rested starter to turn to for length, and it's hard to know who from their bullpen, which already isn't as good or as deep as Milwaukee's, is even available. The Brewers are in a great position to win it on Wednesday.