Brewers rally from 4-0 down to beat Rays 5-4 and take 2-0 World Series lead

Tampa Bay's early lead disappears

Tampa Bay opened Game 2 on Saturday, 24 October, at American Family Field with four runs in the first inning, including a home run by catcher Liam Hicks. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen, who had worked at least six innings in each of his first three postseason starts, could not get through the fourth. He allowed three runs over 3 2/3 innings. Milwaukee answered in its half of the first. Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers opened with singles, and after Christian Yelich struck out, William Contreras's high foul pop went off the glove of first baseman Jonathan Aranda and kept the inning alive. Contreras singled home Chourio, and Garrett Mitchell's RBI single cut the margin to 4-2.

I felt like I was falling behind far too often to expect good results.

Rasmussen blamed his early command problems for the trouble that followed, and he said the Brewers' hitters found themselves in favorable counts once he fell behind.

Frelick and Pratt turn the game

Sal Frelick tied the score at 4-4 with a solo home run off lefty Ian Seymour in the sixth inning, his first homer in three months. He had been without power since suffering a torn labrum earlier in the summer, and he chose not to have surgery. In the seventh, Brice Turang led off with a double, and rookie Cooper Pratt singled him home for a 5-4 lead. Brewers starter Logan Henderson worked only three innings, and Aaron Ashby retired the final five outs. Manager Pat Murphy spoke about Frelick before the game in terms of his competitive drive.

He's just the ultimate competitor

Rays unhappy with their play

Junior Caminero, 23, was visibly frustrated, yelling and gesturing at teammates from the dugout after the sixth inning. Yandy Díaz threw his hands up at the umpires after being called out on a checked swing for the final out. Speaking through interpreter Kevin Vera, Caminero said the team had not played the kind of baseball it is capable of.

Nobody in this clubhouse wants to play the baseball we've played the last couple of days.

Caminero said he had played on similar stages earlier in his career and felt comfortable in them. He finished the series 2-for-7 with a double, a walk and an RBI. Tampa Bay lost Game 1 on Friday 3-2, and now trails 2-0 after back-to-back one-run defeats.

Series picture

The Brewers are in their first World Series since 1982 and won 103 regular-season games. Milwaukee also overcame a four-run deficit in the NL Championship Series, winning Game 4 6-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers to complete a four-game sweep. Asked why the team keeps coming back, pitcher Brandon Woodruff pointed to those 103 wins. Game 3 is set for Monday, 26 October, at Tropicana Field in Tampa.