Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Milwaukee Brewers staged another trademark comeback to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven World Series on Saturday. The top-seeded Brewers recovered from 4-0 down after an early Tampa Bay onslaught to complete a rally that edges Milwaukee closer to a first Major League Baseball crown. The win marked the seventh time during this season’s playoffs that the Brewers have come from behind to win.
Outfielder Sal Frelick blasted a 408-foot home run in the sixth inning to tie it up for Milwaukee at 4-4 before Cooper Pratt’s single in the seventh added what turned out to be the winning run for Brice Turang. “As long as there’s game left we have a chance — and I think we’ve all bought into that,” Pratt said. “We’re never out of it. And when there’s still innings on the board we’ve still got a chance,” Pratt added.
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Tampa Bay will have the weight of history against them as the series heads back to Florida for game three on Monday. Only 10 teams have ever recovered from 2-0 down to win the World Series. Rays manager Kevin Cash believes home-field advantage for the next three games could give Tampa Bay a path back into the series. “These Milwaukee fans have been really loud. I know our fans are going to be really loud and excited to see us come back and kind of reset ourselves a little bit,” Cash said. “We’ve got a really good pitcher going, as do they. A lot of confidence in this club to respond. They’ve done it all season long and they’ll continue to do it.”
The Rays surged into a commanding 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning with Yandy Diaz scooting to second base after a throwing error by Brewers shortstop Pratt. Chandler Simpson singled soon afterwards to bring Diaz home and give the Rays a 1-0 lead. Simpson then used his speed to steal second base, and when Junior Caminero drove into the left field, Simpson raced home to score. The Rays made it 4-0 when catcher Liam Hicks bludgeoned a towering 411-foot two-run homer into the upper deck of right center-field to further rock the Brewers.
Milwaukee were quick to hit back in the bottom of the inning, with William Contreras singling on a ground ball to score Jackson Chourio. Garrett Mitchell’s single to right field allowed Jake Bauers to score to trim the Rays advantage to two runs. Milwaukee knocked Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen out of the game in the fourth inning and then pounced with Frelick’s home run in the sixth, before Pratt’s single in the seventh gave the Brewers the lead. Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby grabbed the final five outs to secure victory.
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