Rays Brewers World Series Game 5: Tampa Bay’s 12th-Inning Escape Sets Up Tonight’s Milwaukee Clincher
The Rays Brewers World Series Game 5 takes place tonight, Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, after Tampa Bay refused to be swept. The Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings in Game 4 on Tuesday night, cutting Milwaukee’s series lead to 3-1 and forcing at least one more game in Florida.
Milwaukee had looked ready to celebrate a first World Series title in franchise history. Rookie Cooper Pratt homered to lead off the top of the 12th inning to put the Brewers 3-2 ahead, only for Tampa Bay to answer with two runs in the bottom of the inning and walk the game off. The USA Today Game 4 report describes a comeback built on a Brewers error and three straight singles.
How Tampa Bay turned a 12th-inning deficit into a walk-off win
The decisive inning began with an error. Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz could not throw out Junior Caminero on a ground ball, giving Tampa Bay a leadoff runner with nobody out. Liam Hicks then singled, Jonny DeLuca singled up the middle to tie the game at 3-3, and Chandler Simpson loaded the bases with another single.
Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson finished the rally with a single to right field, scoring Nick Fortes with the winning run before Milwaukee recorded an out in the inning. It was the fourth time in World Series history that a team facing elimination won in extra innings, according to the USA Today report. Tampa Bay had trailed the series 3-0 and had lost the first three games by a combined margin that left little room for error.
For Milwaukee, the defeat stung precisely because the title had been three outs away. The Brewers had led 3-2 after Pratt’s homer, and manager Pat Murphy had kept ace Jacob Misiorowski in reserve rather than using him in relief. Murphy later explained he did not want to burn his Game 5 starter on a one-run lead on the road.
Why the Brewers still hold the stronger hand in Game 5
History remains firmly on Milwaukee’s side. Every team that has led a World Series 3-0 has gone on to win the title, a run of 25 series without an exception, and the Brewers are only the fifth team in that position to drop Game 4. Tampa Bay must now beat Milwaukee’s best pitcher to keep the series alive, and then win twice more in Milwaukee.
The Brewers also have the cleaner pitching picture. Misiorowski, the likely National League Cy Young Award winner, starts Game 5 on four days’ rest after winning Game 1, when he allowed one run in five innings. The Sportsnet report on Misiorowski’s Game 5 start notes he led the majors in 2026 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts.
Tampa Bay, by contrast, has yet to announce a Game 5 starter. The Rays used several relievers across a long Game 4 night, and reports point to a bullpen game after the club cycled through its regular starters across the first four games. That does not make the Rays harmless, but it does mean manager Kevin Cash must piece together nine innings against a line-up that has scored in bunches all series.
Rays Brewers World Series Game 5 — Quick Reference Summary
| Detail | Game 5 information |
|---|---|
| Match-up | Tampa Bay Rays vs Milwaukee Brewers |
| Game | World Series Game 5 of 7 |
| Date and time | Wednesday, 28 October 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT) |
| Venue | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida |
| TV and streaming | FOX; streamed on FOX One and the Fox Sports apps |
| Series score | Milwaukee leads 3-1 |
| Brewers starter | Jacob Misiorowski (won Game 1, 1.80 ERA in 2026) |
| Rays starter | Not announced at time of writing; bullpen game expected |
| Game 4 result | Rays 4, Brewers 3 in 12 innings (27 October 2026) |
| If Tampa Bay wins | Game 6 on Friday, 30 October in Milwaukee; Game 7, if needed, Saturday, 31 October in Milwaukee |
What a Rays win tonight would actually change
A Tampa Bay victory would make the Rays the first team in World Series history to force a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0. That is a narrow piece of history, but it would also shift the pressure sharply. Milwaukee would return home having lost two straight, with its bullpen carrying the workload of a 12-inning defeat and a bullpen-heavy Game 5.
None of that makes Tampa Bay the favourite. The Rays have been outplayed for long stretches of this series, losing Game 1 by 3-2, Game 2 by 5-4 and Game 3 by 10-1, and their Game 4 win depended on a defensive mistake and a cluster of singles. What it does give them is a genuine opening: one win against an ace, on their own field, with nothing left to lose. That is exactly the position from which the most memorable World Series comebacks begin, even if most of them never get finished.
Sport, like the cup upset covered in Fleetwood’s shock win over Arsenal this week, has a habit of punishing teams that assume the next step is a formality. Milwaukee’s players have spoken about flushing Game 4 and starting again. Tonight will show whether that is a reset or a rationalisation. For other US news from The Today News, see the UK Budget 2026 preview published earlier today.
Rays Brewers World Series Game 5 FAQs
What time is Rays Brewers World Series Game 5?
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and will air on FOX.
What was the Game 4 score?
Tampa Bay beat Milwaukee 4-3 in 12 innings on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, after Cooper Pratt’s 12th-inning homer had put the Brewers 3-2 ahead.
Who is starting Game 5 for the Brewers?
Jacob Misiorowski starts for Milwaukee. He won Game 1, allowing one run in five innings, and led the majors in 2026 with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts.
Who is starting Game 5 for the Rays?
Tampa Bay had not announced a starter at time of writing, and reports point to a bullpen game after the Rays used their regular starters across the first four games.
What happens if the Rays win Game 5?
The series moves to Milwaukee for Game 6 on Friday, 30 October, with a Game 7, if needed, on Saturday, 31 October. A Brewers win tonight clinches Milwaukee’s first World Series title.
