Brewers capture first World Series title in franchise history

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday night to secure the World Series championship. This victory marks the first title in the franchise's 58-year history. The win concluded a series that the Rays entered trailing 3-1.

Jacob Misiorowski anchored the pitching staff with 5 2/3 scoreless innings. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed two hits and struck out two batters. He departed the game due to a right calf cramp. Misiorowski had previously set a World Series velocity record with a 103.5 mph fastball during the opener. He threw 86 pitches, 58 of which were strikes.

Rookie Cooper Pratt provided the offensive production. He recorded two hits and two runs batted in. Pratt set a Series rookie record by collecting six consecutive hits. Jackson Chourio set a five-game Series record with 11 hits. William Contreras added an RBI double in the sixth inning. The Brewers also hit three home runs, contributing to a small-ball strategy that dominated the series.

The path to this victory began with a 103-win regular season. Milwaukee led the majors in victories and finished 11-2 in the postseason. The team swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. They also secured seven comeback wins during their playoff run. Manager Pat Murphy, who won the National League Manager of the Year award in both 2024 and 2025, guided the squad through seven games.

In Game 4, the Brewers lost 4-3 in extra innings after falling behind. They were three outs away from a sweep in the 12th inning. Misiorowski pitched on four days' rest, a rare occurrence in his career. He threw his longest outing since facing the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 8. Calf cramps had forced him out of two earlier starts this season.

The Rays attempted a comeback but fell short. Drew Rasmussen allowed one run and two hits in four innings. Kevin Kelly entered in the fifth inning and gave up consecutive singles. The Rays had runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth but failed to score. Ben Williamson grounded out to end that threat. The teams combined for only four home runs in the final game.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Brewers scored a major league-low 32.1% of their runs on home runs. Tampa Bay followed with a 34.4% rate. This Series featured the two lowest payroll teams in the bottom half of the league. Milwaukee ranked 19th and the Rays ranked 25th as of Aug. 31. This marked the first World Series since 1991 between teams in that payroll bracket.

The Rays, an expansion team since 1998, now hold a 0-3 record in World Series appearances. Only the Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers have lost more Series in their first three tries. The Brewers previously reached the World Series in 1982 but lost Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals. A potential management lockout is scheduled to begin Dec. 2, which could impact the 2027 season.