ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Milwaukee Brewers delivered a commanding performance against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, earning a 10-1 victory in Game 3 of the World Series at Tropicana Field. The decisive win extended Milwaukee's series lead to 3-0, putting the franchise within a single victory of capturing its first World Series championship in history.
By securing their eighth consecutive postseason victory, the Brewers tied a Major League Baseball record for consecutive playoff wins. Milwaukee now has the opportunity to join the 1976 Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" as the only teams to sweep both a League Championship Series and a World Series in the same postseason.
No team in World Series history has ever surrendered a 3-0 series lead. Following their 113th total victory of the season, the Brewers need just one more win to seal the title.
Brewers starting pitcher Robert Gasser anchored the night on the mound, becoming the first Milwaukee pitcher to complete six innings during this postseason. In earning the victory, Gasser tied a postseason record by winning all four of his playoff starts on the road. The Rays recorded their only hit against Gasser on the very first pitch of the game when Yandy Diaz lined a leadoff single.
That hit by Diaz—also noted as Victor Diaz—marked Tampa Bay's solitary baserunner until the ninth inning, leaving Gasser just one batter shy of matching Don Larsen's historical pursuit of a World Series perfect game.
By the sixth inning, the statistical gap was stark: Milwaukee had accumulated 18 baserunners compared to Tampa Bay's single runner. The overwhelming scoreline prompted many among the sellout crowd of 40,388 to exit early, leaving Tropicana Field filled largely with visiting Milwaukee supporters.
Having already clinched the National League Division Series on the road in San Diego and the National League Championship Series on the road in Los Angeles, the Brewers are now positioned to complete a road sweep for the World Series title in St. Petersburg.
Milwaukee left fielder Jackson Chourio posted a historic offensive night, collecting four hits by the fifth inning. Chourio became the youngest player to register a four-hit World Series game since Joe Garagiola in 1946. In contrast, the entire Rays lineup managed just one hit through the first eight innings.
Addressing the team's momentum, Brewers manager Pat Murphy highlighted the impact of their fanbase: "Our fans are a huge part of this whole thing," Murphy said.
"The whole city of Milwaukee, the whole state of Wisconsin, they're a big part of this. Our guys are aware of that responsibility and how much that state, that city, loves the Brewers and supports the Brewers."
The contest remained tight through four innings, with Milwaukee holding a 2-0 advantage against former Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. However, the game broke open in the fifth inning following a pivotal defensive sequence. With runners on first and second, Brewers catcher William Contreras hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Junior Caminero.
Caminero fielded the ball but opted to throw to second base instead of taking an out at first. Although second baseman Dan Bellino initially called veteran runner Christian Yelich out at second, replay review demonstrated that Yelich slid in safely. The overturned call loaded the bases with no outs.
Rays manager Kevin Cash called on left-handed reliever Cam Booser to face Brice Turang. On a two-strike pitch, Turang hit a 106-mph fastball that shortstop Taylor Wells smothered, but the ball deflected off his glove into shallow center field, driving in two runs to make it 4-0. Garrett Mitchell followed with an RBI single to left field to extend the lead to 5-0.
On the next pitch, Cooper Pratt lined a double off Caminero's glove into the left-field corner, scoring two more runs to reach 7-0. Sal Frelick, who homered in Game 2, followed with an RBI double to left field, making the score 8-0.
Booser, who had allowed only two hits with runners in scoring position all season while holding opponents to a .100 batting average with men on base, surrendered three consecutive run-scoring hits before being replaced by Cole Sluser. The pitching change offered no relief, as David Hamilton greeted Sluser with an RBI single to expand the lead to 9-0.
Chourio then recorded his second hit of the inning and fourth of the game with an RBI double into right field, pushing the score to 10-0. Jake Bauers, the only Brewers starter without a hit, RBI, or run scored by that point, flied out for the final out of the eight-run inning.
The remainder of the game saw both teams rotate their lineups heavily as the night concluded. Reflecting on the team's focus throughout the run, Bauers described the collective effort across the organization: "I think the buy-in from top to bottom on what we're trying to do," Bauers said, "which is ultimately win a World Series.
And I don't just mean the players. I mean the coaching staff, the scouts, down to the ushers working the aisles at the stadium. I think the entire city wants a World Series. The organization knows that, and everybody within the organization is working towards a common goal."
If it was a World Baseball Classic game, they would have stopped it after seven innings.
If it wasn’t a nationally-televised game, they may have begun showing re-runs of Gilligan’s Island.
Related Articles
Meet Md. Rubel Rana
​As a core contributor to Worlddincidents.com, Rubel Rana brings a unique perspective to the world of journalism. Whether it’s deep-diving into historical trivia or covering the latest global headlines, Rubel Rana is committed to delivering high-quality, high-impact articles. Their writing blends meticulous research with a compelling voice, helping readers stay informed and curious about the world around them.