The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions for the first time in franchise history. Milwaukee defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday, Oct. 28, winning the series four games to one.
The victory at Tropicana Field ended a championship wait that spanned generations. It also completed one of the strongest seasons in Brewers history.
Brewers Secure First World Series Championship
Milwaukee controlled Game 5 behind starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. The right-hander allowed two hits and one walk across 5 2/3 scoreless innings. A right calf cramp forced him from the game during the sixth.
Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning. He later scored on David Hamilton’s fifth-inning single, extending Milwaukee’s lead to 2-0.
William Contreras delivered an RBI double in the sixth. Pratt followed with a sacrifice fly that gave the Brewers a four-run advantage.
Tampa Bay scored its only run in the ninth. However, closer Trevor Megill retired Richie Palacios on a ground ball to secure the championship.
The win completed the first title run in the franchise’s 58-season history. MLB reported that Milwaukee finished the postseason with an 11-2 record.
William Contreras Wins World Series MVP
Contreras received the World Series Most Valuable Player Award after an outstanding performance behind the plate. The Venezuelan catcher batted .381 during the five-game series.
He also threw out four runners attempting to steal. Contreras successfully overturned 10 of 13 challenged calls under MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike challenge system.
Contreras became the eighth catcher to win World Series MVP. His championship added another milestone to a memorable year for Venezuelan baseball.
Jackson Chourio also made a major impact for Milwaukee. The Venezuelan outfielder recorded 11 hits, the most by any player in a five-game World Series.
Pratt established a World Series rookie record with hits in six consecutive plate appearances. He also tied the rookie record with seven RBIs.
A Dominant Road to the Championship
Milwaukee entered the postseason after leading Major League Baseball with a franchise-record 103 regular-season victories. The Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres in four games during the National League Division Series.
The Brewers then swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. That victory sent Milwaukee to its first World Series since 1982.
Manager Pat Murphy’s team won 11 of its 13 postseason games. Seven of those victories came after Milwaukee had fallen behind.
The Brewers’ only previous World Series appearance ended with a Game 7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. Milwaukee’s previous MLB championship came in 1957, when the Milwaukee Braves defeated the New York Yankees.
Milwaukee Celebrates a Long-Awaited Title
About 31,000 supporters gathered at American Family Field for a Game 5 watch party. The championship game took place in St. Petersburg, Florida, but Milwaukee’s stadium erupted after the final out.
Confetti covered the field as fans celebrated a moment decades in the making. Supporters wore jerseys honoring several eras of Milwaukee baseball, including Christian Yelich, Hank Aaron and longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker.
Milwaukee fans also filled sections behind the Brewers’ dugout at Tropicana Field. Their celebrations continued during the trophy presentation and long after the final pitch.
The Brewers’ championship gives Milwaukee a new place in baseball history. It rewards a loyal fan base that waited 44 years for another World Series appearance and decades for the franchise’s first title.