Rays rally in 12th at Tropicana Field, force World Series Game 5

Tampa Bay scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night, beating the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 to force a fifth game of the World Series. Milwaukee had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the frame on Cooper Pratt's home run off Ian Seymour. The Rays answered after Joey Ortiz threw wide on Junior Caminero's leadoff grounder against Antonio Senzatela. Liam Hicks singled off Shane Drohan, and Jonny DeLuca lined a single to center to bring home pinch-runner Cedric Mullins and tie it at 3. Chandler Simpson followed with a single to load the bases. Milwaukee brought in a five-man infield with the corners in. Ben Williamson, batting for Victor Mesa Jr., chopped a ball over first baseman Jake Bauers and into right field to end it.

Williamson entered the at-bat with one hit in 15 postseason at-bats. "That was totally what I told him to do," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Pretty big swing. I've got to go back and recall everything that took place." Tampa Bay became the fourth team in World Series history to win an elimination game with an extra-inning comeback, according to OptaSTATS. The 1912 Red Sox, 1986 Mets and 2011 Cardinals did it before, and all three went on to take the title.

The series began with Milwaukee in control. Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie who debuted in June, hit a go-ahead home run off Seymour in Game 2, and the Brewers pushed their winning streak to eight games. Milwaukee also held a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup. Tampa Bay took Game 4 on Tuesday, becoming the fifth of 26 teams to win Game 4 after falling behind 3-0 in a World Series. The previous four lost Game 5. Across all postseason best-of-seven series, the 2004 Boston Red Sox remain the only one of 43 teams to come back from a 3-0 deficit, which they did against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

Caminero left the game after reaching base to open the 12th, replaced by Mullins at third base, and walked off with a sore left foot. Cash said he expects him to play Wednesday. Caminero singled in the fourth inning, which ended Dustin May's outing, and scored when DeLuca's grounder got past Hamilton for an error. Hamilton, batting ninth for Milwaukee, homered off Griffin Jax in the fifth, his second of the postseason. Pratt had tied the game at 1 with a double in the second, and Frelick singled him around in the fourth. Simpson hit an RBI double off May in the second. Attendance at Tropicana Field was 40,514.

Game 5 is set for Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Jacob Misiorowski, the NL Cy Young Award favorite, starts for Milwaukee. Cash said he had not named a starter. "He'll play tomorrow on one leg. I'll make sure of it," Cash said of Caminero. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee's captain, said the Brewers understand what is required to finish a title run: "If you want to win a championship, you have to survive some hard things." Miami's series continues with Milwaukee leading 3-1.