Brewers Blitz Rays In Fifth, Take 3-0 Series Lead

The Milwaukee Brewers scored eight runs in the fifth inning on Monday night to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-1 at Tropicana Field. The win gives Milwaukee a 3-0 lead in the World Series, putting them one victory away from their first title in franchise history.

Jackson Chourio started the rally with a single, and Milwaukee proceeded to record seven consecutive hits with two outs in the frame. Brice Turang delivered a two-run single, Garrett Mitchell added an RBI single, Cooper Pratt hit a two-run double, and Sal Frelick doubled in another run. Chourio capped the inning with an RBI double. The Brewers finished the night with 16 hits.

Chourio went 4 for 5 with a stolen base. He is the second-youngest player to record four hits and a steal in a World Series game, trailing only Ty Cobb in 1908. Turang and William Contreras each went 3 for 5. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Chourio, "He was tremendous. Locked in. Gives us a big lift."

Rookie pitcher Robert Gasser allowed one hit through six innings and faced the minimum 18 batters. He retired 14 straight batters after a first-inning single. Freddy Peralta, pitching for Tampa Bay, was charged with five runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Peralta was "a little out of sync" and "tried to power through it a little bit."

Tampa Bay loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning. Brandon Woodruff, making his first appearance in 3 1/2 months, allowed two hits and a run to close the game. Milwaukee has won eight straight postseason games, tying a single postseason record.

The Rays trail 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. Historically, only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said, "Obviously the only thing we can do is win tomorrow."

Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. Griffin Jax will start for Tampa Bay, while Milwaukee had not named its starter. With a win, the Brewers would become the first team to sweep both the LCS and the World Series since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.