Brewers Rally From 4-0 Down to Beat Rays 5-4, Take 2-0 World Series Lead

The Milwaukee Brewers are two wins away from the first World Series title in franchise history. On Saturday night at American Family Field, they erased a four run first inning deficit and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2, taking a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.

A nightmare start, then the comeback

The Rays jumped on Brewers starter Logan Henderson for four runs in the first inning, helped by an error from rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt. Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen had a 4-0 lead before most fans had settled into their seats.

Milwaukee answered immediately. RBI singles from William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the first, and the Brewers kept chipping away. A Rays error in the fourth made it 4-3, and Sal Frelick tied the game with a leadoff home run in the sixth, his first career postseason homer.

Pratt atones, bullpen slams the door

Pratt completed his redemption arc in the seventh. After Brice Turang doubled and moved to third on a flyout, Pratt singled to right off Kevin Kelly to give Milwaukee its first lead of the night at 5-4.

The story of the series so far is the Brewers bullpen. After Henderson lasted only three innings, JoJo Romero, Dustin May, DL Hall, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined for six scoreless innings. Tampa Bay did not score after the first inning, and the Rays stranded the tying run at third in the ninth for the second straight game when Ashby struck out Yandy Diaz on a check swing to end it.

What happens next

The series shifts to Tampa Bay for Game 3 on Monday night, October 26. Tampa Bay will send Freddy Peralta to the mound against his former team, with Milwaukee countering with lefty Robert Gasser. Peralta spent eight seasons with the Brewers before joining the Rays.

History is firmly on Milwaukee’s side now. No team has come back from a 2-0 World Series deficit since the 1996 New York Yankees.

What It Means for Bettors

The series price has swung hard toward Milwaukee, and the Game 3 market reflects a coin flip rather than a coronation. Early Game 3 lines list Tampa Bay as a slight favorite at home with a low total, a nod to two strong pitching staffs and a Rays lineup that has gone quiet after the first inning in both games.

The betting angle for Game 3 is the bullpen gap. Milwaukee’s relievers have been nearly untouchable all postseason, so the Brewers are live even in games where their starter exits early. Tampa Bay backers are betting on Peralta turning in a deep start and the Rays finally cashing in with runners on base.

Compare series and Game 3 prices at BetUS, Bovada, and BetOnline before you lock anything in. Lines move fast during the World Series, so shop for the best number.

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