After a dramatic comeback in Game 4, the Tampa Bay Rays survived to play another day. Ben Williamson's walk-off single in the 12th inning denied the Milwaukee Brewers their first World Series title, at least for now. With Milwaukee leading the series 3-1, the Brewers have a chance to close it out, while the Rays hope to extend the series and push it back to Milwaukee.
For the Brewers, the key is playing clean baseball. Milwaukee infielders have committed eight errors in the playoffs, two of them in Game 4, both on errant throws from third base that led to runs. Their ace, Jacob Misiorowski, gets the start in Game 5 against a Rays team with few reliable pitching options. Milwaukee's hitters also produced 12 of the 13 hardest-hit balls in Game 4 with little to show for it.
For the Rays, the task is to make Misiorowski work. The hard-throwing right-hander has not been used for heavy workloads in the postseason, and he was pulled after 78 pitches in Game 1. Tampa Bay is likely to open with a bullpen game, so its lineup must erase Milwaukee's pitching advantage.
The pitching staffs are stretched. Game 4 required 15 pitchers over 23 innings and 367 pitches. Brewers manager Pat Murphy confirmed that Misiorowski will start on Wednesday on four days' rest, a situation in which he has posted a 1.64 ERA this season. Milwaukee will likely need four or five innings from its bullpen, with Trevor Megill and Aaron Ashby expected to play key roles in any close-out situation.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing