ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- When Cooper Pratt led off Tuesday's 12th inning, he was just trying not to strike out. Instead, he hit the home run that gave his Milwaukee Brewers the lead and put them three outs away from their first championship. He had become the first 22-year-old to accumulate four hits in a potential World Series clincher.
"That was probably one of the coolest swings of my life," Pratt said, "but it's over."
Actually, it's not over. The Tampa Bay Rays stormed back in the bottom half, putting the first five baserunners on to win Game 4 in walk-off fashion, 4-3, and avoid a sweep. The Brewers lost their first postseason game in 21 days, and the Rays would not go down without a fight. As the Brewers dominated October, winning 10 of their first 11 games and tying a record with eight consecutive victories, it was easy to dismiss the difficulty of what they're pursuing. Not for their players.
"This stuff is not supposed to be easy," Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. "It's supposed to test you."
The biggest test fell to Shane Drohan, a journeyman rookie who hadn't pitched in 12 days. Summoned after Joey Ortiz's errant throw put the tying run on, he struggled. Liam Hicks's grounder went through the left side, Jonny De Luca tied the score with a base hit, and Chandler Simpson loaded the bases. Then pinch hitter Ben Williamson hit a chopper that sailed over first baseman Jake Bauers, handing the Brewers only their second loss all month.
"I'm human," Drohan said. "I know what I was walking into, and I just didn't get the job done." Manager Pat Murphy acknowledged the road ahead: "It's going to be hard. When you're achieving something like this, it's going to have its adversity."
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing