Brewers rally from four-run deficit to take 2-0 World Series lead over Rays

MILWAUKEE · The Milwaukee Brewers are two wins away from their first championship after a stunning comeback gave them a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Down 4-0 in the first inning, the Brewers chipped away before Sal Frelick tied the game with a sixth-inning homer and Cooper Pratt delivered the go-ahead single in the seventh for a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. Milwaukee has now won seven straight playoff games and is 9-1 this postseason. "They believe and they don't give up," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "They just keep going."

The Rays jumped on rookie starter Logan Henderson in the first inning at American Family Field. After an error by Pratt, Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero hit RBI singles before Toronto-born catcher Liam Hicks launched a two-run homer to give Tampa Bay a quick 4-0 lead. Hicks became the fourth Canadian-born player to homer in the World Series, joining George Selkirk, Larry Walker and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. "I didn't have the day that I wanted yesterday," Hicks said. "So it really felt good to help the team."

Milwaukee answered with two runs in the bottom of the first against Rays ace Drew Rasmussen, who lasted just 3.2 innings. David Hamilton cut the deficit to 4-3 with an RBI grounder in the fourth that went under the legs of first baseman Jonathan Aranda for an error. The Brewers tied it in the sixth when Frelick, who had not homered since July 11, drove a fastball from Ian Seymour over the centre-field fence. "I don't hit a lot of home runs, especially to centre, so I was happy it went out," Frelick said.

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Brice Turang doubled to start the seventh against reliever Tyler Wells. He moved to third on a flyout and scored when Pratt looped a single into short right field. "My heart was racing," Pratt said. The Rays put the potential tying run on third base with none out in the ninth, but Aaron Ashby struck out Yandy Diaz on a checked swing to end the game. Abner Uribe earned the win with 1 1/3 hitless innings of relief.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash acknowledged his team's uncharacteristic defensive miscues, which included a dropped foul pop and a runner thrown out at home. "We didn't play our cleanest baseball game by any stretch," Cash said. "We pride ourselves on doing everything we can to support the pitchers and making plays behind them. Today was probably not our best day." The Brewers became the fifth team to twice overcome four-run deficits in a single postseason, the first since the 2022 Phillies.

With files from Sportsnet, CBC News and The Globe and Mail