Ben Williamson waited for hours Tuesday night before his moment finally came in Game 4 of the World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays were fighting to keep their season alive against the Milwaukee Brewers, and shortly after midnight, manager Kevin Cash told Williamson it was his turn to bat.
Williamson, who had just one postseason hit on his résumé, stepped up with the bases loaded, no outs, and the score tied in the 12th inning. Pinch-hitting for Victor Mesa Jr., he hit the first pitch from left-hander Shane Drohan, a 96 mph sinker, on the ground. The ball ricocheted off the infield and landed in shallow right field, scoring Nick Fortes from third base and giving the Rays a 4-3 win.
The victory came minutes after Milwaukee had taken the lead on Cooper Pratt's home run, which had put the Brewers within three outs of their first championship in franchise history. The Rays' win was their first World Series victory at Tropicana Field since 2008. Game 5 is set for Wednesday night.
Cash used 21 players and seven pitchers in the game, emptying his bench to outlast a Brewers club that had beaten them 10-1 in Game 3. Junior Caminero aggravated a left foot injury during the rally, and Cedric Mullins pinch-ran for him, though Caminero said he was "good" and expected to play in Game 5.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing