The Milwaukee Brewers captured their first World Series crown on Wednesday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 to complete a four-games-to-one victory and end more than half a century of waiting for baseball’s biggest prize.
Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt drove in two runs and Jacob Misiorowski pitched five and two-thirds scoreless innings as Milwaukee put the finishing touches on a season that began in spring training with championship ambitions. Trevor Megill was mobbed by his teammates on the mound after Richie Palacios grounded to second baseman Brice Turang, who threw to Jake Bauers for the final out before a sold-out crowd of 40,489 at Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field.
"It’s the best feeling ever. All of our fans are here. I know the city’s waited a long, long time for this and we’re so happy to bring it home to them," said Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP and the Brewers’ longest-tenured position player. "Can’t wait to get back there and celebrate."
William Contreras was named Most Valuable Player of the series after batting .381 with four RBIs across the five games, including a run-scoring double in the clincher. The 28-year-old became the eighth catcher to win the award and the first since Salvador Perez for the Kansas City Royals in 2015. Contreras also helped contain Tampa Bay’s running game by throwing out four would-be base stealers.
"I don’t want to offend any of the other catchers in the league," Contreras said. "But sitting up here today, champion of the world, I feel like I’m the best catcher in the league."
The Brewers, who arrived in Milwaukee in 1970 after one season as the Seattle Pilots, had reached the World Series only once before, losing to the St Louis Cardinals in seven games in 1982. Milwaukee had been three outs from completing a sweep on Tuesday night before surrendering a 12th-inning lead, but bounced back on Wednesday behind Misiorowski, the right-hander who scattered two hits and one walk while striking out two before departing with a right calf cramp.
"I don’t even have words," said Misiorowski, who broke the World Series velocity record with a 103.5mph fastball on the first pitch of Game 1. "I know they’re going crazy in Milwaukee."
Pratt supplied a key part of Milwaukee’s offense in the second inning, driving in Turang with a single to center. The Brewers doubled their advantage in the fifth when David Hamilton’s ground-ball single brought Pratt home. Milwaukee widened the gap in the sixth inning when Contreras hit a double to left to score Yelich, followed by Pratt lifting a sacrifice fly to score Contreras and make it 4-0.
The Rays mounted a final threat in the ninth inning when Liam Hicks doubled and Chandler Simpson lined an RBI double off Megill to cut the lead to 4-1. However, Megill stranded Simpson at second base to seal the victory and end Tampa Bay’s campaign.
"The years of getting eliminated or being beaten last year by the Dodgers, that was a blessing because we learned from it and we grew, and we came in with a different attitude," said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. "We came in with a spirit about us, and we weren’t denied."
The triumph marked the city of Milwaukee’s first World Series championship since 1957, when Lew Burdette pitched the then-Milwaukee Braves to victory.
