The Milwaukee Brewers scored eight runs with two outs in the fifth inning and routed the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 at Tropicana Field on Monday night. This proved to be a critical win for the Brewers as they moved within one win of their first World Series title, leaving Rays manager Kevin Cash to explain a game that turned in 17 pitches.
Milwaukee leads the best-of-seven series 3-0. Robert Gasser held the Rays to one hit over six scoreless innings, Jackson Chourio went 4-for-5, and the Brewers out-hit Tampa Bay 16-3. None of the 25 previous teams to fall behind 3-0 in a World Series has come back to win; across all best-of-seven postseason series, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have.
The fifth inning decided it. With two outs and runners on first and second, Cash removed Freddy Peralta, the ALCS MVP, after William Contreras’ infield single loaded the bases. That play followed a replay review that overturned a forceout at second on Junior Caminero’s throw, which would have ended the inning. Fans brutally called out Kevin Cash, even comparing him with New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
