There were nine innings of Game 3 on Monday, but it all came down to a half-inning of history.
The Milwaukee Brewers used seven straight hits to score eight runs, all with two outs, to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and move within one victory of winning the franchise’s first World Series. Those seven consecutive hits with two outs and eight runs with two outs were World Series records.
The final score: 10-1.
The Brewers got on the board first in the third with a couple of hits that found the right holes in the Rays defense. Jackson Chourio singled – his second on a day where he went 4 for 5 – and Jake Bauers drew a walk. They cashed in when Christian Yelich hit his second bloop single of the game to bring in Chourio.
On the next pitch, William Contreras dropped a single to right field where Victor Mesa, Jr. struggled to field it cleanly, allowing Bauers to score.
The Rays quickly fell on several occasions, dominated by Brewers starter Robert Gasser. When the Brewers arrived in the top of the fifth, they were on the verge of making history.
With Chourio and Yelich reaching for a base hit and walking, Contreras hit a helicopter to third base, but replay showed Yelich beat out a spinning Caminero’s throw to second, creating a bases-loaded situation. After a pitcher change, Brice Turang then smashed a ball straight into the box and out of Taylor Walls’ glove. Chourio and Yelich scored as the ball entered center field.
This started the hit parade.
The Brewers kept the pressure on with a single by Garrett Mitchell and a double by Cooper Pratt to score three more runs and suddenly the game was out of control. Sal Frelick then hit a double into the left field corner to bring in Pratt with another run.
After a pitching change, David Hamilton hit a single to center field off Cole Sulser to score Frelick. Chourio, who is only 22, then stepped in and collected his second hit of the inning, a double to plate Hamilton from first base.
After that, things were pretty academic (even though Frelick was diving in the outfield up to 10 points on his injured shoulder). The Rays scored in the bottom of the ninth on Yandy Díaz’s long double to make it 10-1.
The Brewers seem determined to win this series – and if they don’t, it will be a historic comeback for the Rays. No team has ever come back from 0-3 in the World Series to win the championship.
Gn sports
