Victory at last: Brewers blast Rays, capture maiden World Series title

MIAMI (AFP) — The Milwaukee Brewers won the first World Series title in franchise history on Wednesday, beating the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, to clinch victory in Major League Baseball’s championship showcase.

Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt drove in one run, plated another with a sacrifice fly and scored as the Brewers — denied a sweep by the Rays’ thrilling extra-innings comeback win on Tuesday — celebrated a four games to one victory in the best-of-seven series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Milwaukee’s first World Series title comes 44 years after their only other trip to the Fall Classic, when they lost to St. Louis in seven games in 1982.

“This is one of the greatest moments of my life. Oh my gosh,” said the 22-year-old Pratt, who made his major league debut in June. “It doesn’t even feel real. This is surreal.”

The Brewers, who swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, gained an early 1-0 edge on Pratt’s single to center field that scored Brice Turang in the top of the second inning.

Pratt was cut down trying to reach second base and the Rays escaped the inning without further damage.

Pratt singled again — his sixth hit in six straight at-bats — and scored on David Hamilton’s single up the middle as the Brewers doubled their lead in the top of the fifth.

Milwaukee added two more runs for a 4-0 lead in the sixth, when Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger hit Christian Yelich to open the inning.

William Contreras followed with a double to left field that scored Yelich.

Contreras, who drove in four runs in the series, was named World Series Most Valuable Player, the third Venezuelan to earn the award.

After Turang belted a single, Tyler Wells took the mound for Tampa Bay. He struck out Sal Frelick before Pratt lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Contreras to score.

Milwaukee’s flame-throwing pitching ace Jacob Misiorowski, who led the major leagues with 252 strikeouts in the regular season, recorded just two.

But the pitcher almost certain to win the National League Cy Young Award hurled five and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up just two hits before exiting with apparent leg cramps.

“I don’t even have words. It’s amazing, just watching my guys celebrate,” Misiorowski said. “I know they’re going crazy in Milwaukee. It’s awesome.”

Misiorowski didn’t get his first strikeout of the game until the fourth inning.

He then gave up a two-out single to Chandler Simpson, who reached second on a fielding error by Sal Frelick as Liam Hicks — who had reached first when he was hit by a Misiorowski pitch — advanced to third.

Misiorowski escaped the jam when Ben Williamson grounded out to third to strand the Rays runners in scoring position.

Brewers fans were a raucous presence at Tropicana Field. Pratt said the expectations added to the pressure — and the satisfaction.

“It’s loud, it’s crazy. The pressure is out of this world,” he said. “It’s some of the hardest but most fun baseball I’ve ever been a part of.”

“I messed up a lot of times this postseason. But the guys picked me up, and we’re here, and we’re world champions.”