The Milwaukee Brewers are champions of baseball for the first time in franchise history, clinching the World Series with a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
The win sealed the Fall Classic in five games and closed a 57-year championship drought for a franchise that began life as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before relocating to Wisconsin a year later. It was Milwaukee’s first World Series appearance since 1982, when the Brewers lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Misiorowski Silences Rays Bats
Starter Jacob Misiorowski delivered the performance of his career on the biggest stage, tossing 5⅔ shutout innings while allowing just two hits. The right-hander, visibly emotional after the final out, credited the Milwaukee faithful for their unwavering support.
“They’ve been nothing but supportive this year and in years prior, and it has been amazing,” Misiorowski said, fighting back tears.
Veteran outfielder Christian Yelich, who joined the franchise in 2018 and endured years of rebuilding, reflected on what the title means to the city.
“I know the city has waited a long, long time for this, and we’re so happy to bring it back to them,” Yelich said. “I can’t wait to get back there and celebrate.”
Timely Hitting Breaks the Game Open
Milwaukee struck first in the second inning when rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt drove in the opening run off Rays starter Drew Rasmussen. Pratt, who had homered in the 12th inning of Tuesday’s Game 4 loss, finished the series with hits in six consecutive World Series at-bats — the first rookie ever to accomplish the feat.
David Hamilton extended the lead to 2-0 in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Pratt. The Brewers then broke the game open in the sixth. William Contreras crushed an RBI double off the left-field wall to plate Yelich, and later tagged up and scored on Pratt’s sacrifice fly into foul territory, pushing the advantage to 4-0.
Tampa Bay avoided a shutout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI double by Chandler Simpson, but closer Trevor Megill locked down the final out to set off the celebration.
Contreras Named Series MVP
William Contreras was named World Series Most Valuable Player after batting .381 (8-for-21) with four RBIs across the five games. His sixth-inning double provided the cushion Milwaukee needed to secure the clincher.
Pratt, 22, summed up the emotional rollercoaster of a championship run.
“The pressure is out of this world,” Pratt said. “It’s some of the hardest but most fun baseball I’ve ever been a part of. I messed up a lot of times this postseason, but the guys picked me up, and we’re world champions.”
A Dominant Postseason Run
The victory caps a dominant campaign for Milwaukee, which won 103 games to claim the National League Central title. The Brewers then defeated the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series before sweeping the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.
For a franchise that had never won it all, the moment marked the end of generations of frustration — and the beginning of a celebration 57 years in the making.
