The Milwaukee Brewers broke open a tight Game 3 on Monday with an explosive eight-run fifth inning, turning a competitive World Series contest into a runaway victory.
Milwaukee moved within one win of its first World Series championship by defeating the Rays 10-1 in Tampa to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.
“It’s super special,” Brewers star Jackson Chourio said through a translator. “I think all these fans deserve a championship.”
Thousands of those supporters made the trip to Tampa for Game 3. Back home, fans who could not travel to Florida filled Milwaukee’s American Family Field for a loud and celebratory watch party.
For Tampa Bay fans—and neutral viewers who had no team to support—the one-sided result raised concerns that the Fall Classic had quickly lost its appeal.
“Most boring World Series on record,” one fan posted on X. “Sad to see for the sport.”
The Milwaukee Brewers dugout erupts during their eight-run fifth inning on Monday
Large groups of Milwaukee Brewers fans traveled to Tampa for Games 3 and 4
Sal Frelick makes a challenging diving catch during Monday night’s eighth inning
“Most boring World Series of all time, not gonna lie,” another fan wrote. “This is one of the most lopsided matchups I have ever seen.”
That was a sharp contrast to the opening two games in Milwaukee, where the Brewers secured consecutive one-run victories, highlighted by a four-run comeback on Saturday.
Many observers, including Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, believe Tampa Bay’s fortunes changed after the Rays surrendered a four-run lead in the first inning of Game 2.
“Tampa can stop pretending to care about baseball now,” Portnoy wrote on X. “This series was dead and buried after the Rays blew a 4-0 lead in Game 2.”
Rookie left-hander Robert Gasser allowed just one hit while facing the minimum through six innings, helping Milwaukee seize its 3-0 series advantage. Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, where Brewers supporters packed in behind the visitors’ dugout and made their presence felt.
Gasser gave up a line-drive single to Yandy Díaz to open the bottom of the first, then retired 14 consecutive batters before Victor Mesa Jr. drew a leadoff walk in the sixth.
A caught stealing and a double play helped Gasser become the first starter since Arizona’s Curt Schilling in 2001 to face the minimum 18 batters through six innings of a World Series game. He was also the first left-hander to accomplish the feat since Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero watches from the dugout during Monday’s game
Brewers catcher William Contreras celebrates with outfielder Garrett Mitchell after scoring
Chourio went 4-for-5, while William Contreras finished 3-for-5 as Milwaukee collected 16 hits against “Fastball Freddy” Peralta and five Tampa Bay relievers. The win extended the Brewers’ postseason winning streak to eight games and their road streak to four.
Only one of the 43 previous major league teams to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series has recovered to win it. The 2004 Boston Red Sox accomplished the feat by sweeping the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
‘It’s kind of that chip and a chair mentality,’ Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ‘We’ve got a seat at the table. We’ve got to do something with the chip. Obviously the only thing we can do is win tomorrow.’
Gasser became the first starter for Milwaukee to get an out in the sixth inning this postseason. He’s allowed one run in 15 innings over three starts, all on the road.
Peralta, the MVP of the ALCS against Cleveland, ran out of gas against the Brewers. He was charged with five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings against his former team.
‘Just a little out of sync. I think he felt really good. Tried to power through it a little bit,’ Cash said. ‘Just inconsistencies in and out of the strike zone led to a bunch of really good at-bats by the Brewer lineup.’
Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning
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After a pair of tense, down-to-the-final-pitch, one-run games in Milwaukee, the Brewers put this one out of reach in the fifth with a postseason-record seven straight hits – all with two outs.
It was the first time in World Series history a team scored eight two-out runs in one inning.
‘I was sitting in the dugout getting ready to go. There was two outs, and next thing you know, 40 minutes later, I have to go out on the field,’ Gasser said. ‘It was special. I had a smile on my face the whole time. It’s just surreal when something like that happens.’
Chourio began the rally with a one-out single and then stole second with two outs. Christian Yelich walked, and Peralta exited after Contreras’ infield single loaded the bases.
The inning appeared to end when third baseman Junior Caminero fielded Contreras’ bouncer and threw to second base for a forceout. But the call at second was overturned after a replay review, and Cam Booser entered.
Turang ripped a liner that shortstop Taylor Walls couldn’t short hop. It bounced off his glove and rolled into shallow center field for a two-run single.
Garrett Mitchell followed with an RBI single, Cooper Pratt grounded a two-run double down the left-field line and Sal Frelick lined a run-scoring double to make it 8-0.
‘It’s definitely deflating,’ Cash said. ‘How could it not be?’
Infielder David Hamilton is seen sprinting to third during the fifth inning on Monday
Cole Sulser replaced Booser and allowed an RBI single to David Hamilton and an RBI double to Chourio, who became the second-youngest player with four hits and a stolen base in a World Series game behind Ty Cobb in 1908.
Chourio already has eight hits in the Series, and Contreras has seven.
Brandon Woodruff pitched the ninth for the Brewers, allowing one run and two hits in his first appearance in 3 1/2 months. The two-time All-Star had been sidelined by a shoulder injury that originally was thought to require surgery.
Of the 25 previous teams who took a 3-0 lead in the World Series, 21 swept and four won in five games.
Originally the Seattle Pilots for one season in 1969, the franchise moved to Milwaukee and was renamed the Brewers in 1970. Their only other trip to the World Series came as an AL team and ended with a loss to St. Louis in Game 7 in 1982.
While the Brewers have never won the Fall Classic, the Braves did win the 1957 World Series in Milwaukee nine years before relocating to Atlanta.
Led by 67-year-old manager Pat Murphy, the Brewers need just one more win to finally end their championship drought.
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio (L) argues with the umpire after striking out
The Rays led the AL with 98 wins in the regular season, swept the Yankees in three games in the Division Series and beat the Guardians in six games in the ALCS.
But they made uncharacteristic mistakes on the bases and defense during the first two games in Milwaukee, and completely unraveled at home.
Tampa Bay also has never won a World Series in 29 seasons. The Rays lost to the Phillies in five games in 2008 and to the Dodgers in six games in 2020.
Wearing their white Devil Rays uniforms, they were eager to play in front of their home fans at the quirky, cavernous Trop, which had its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton in October 2024 and needed major renovations.
But their cowbell-ringing, towel-waving fans among a sellout crowd of 40,388 couldn’t lift them past the surging Brewers.
The Brewers led the majors with 103 wins, beat the Padres in four games in their NLDS and swept the Dodgers in the NLCS. With a win in Game 4, they would become the first team to sweep an LCS and World Series since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
Griffin Jax is scheduled to start Game 4 for Tampa Bay.
‘We’ve been preparing for this day a lot,’ Chourio said. ‘We have one more to lock in for tomorrow to complete the mission.’