Brewers Beat Rays 4-1 for First World Series Title Ever

A runner in white pinstripes crosses first base with a Brewers infielder alongside and an umpire crouched for the call. A graphic in the corner still says Milwaukee leads the series 3-1, and the banner says what happened next: the Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series. The on-screen pitcher and batter names match the final out, closer Trevor Megill retiring Richie Palacios on a grounder to second.

The Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field, winning the series 4-1 and capturing the first championship in franchise history. The title ends a drought that stretches back to the club's arrival in Milwaukee, in its 57th year there. Principal owner Mark Attanasio told the crowd that the city had waited 44 years for this moment, referring to the Brewers' only previous Series trip, in 1982.

Young ace Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball, and rookie Cooper Pratt had two hits and two RBIs. William Contreras, the World Series MVP, hit an RBI double in the sixth, and Pratt's sacrifice fly made it 4-0. The Brewers completed an 11-2 postseason run, and the Rays' lineup hit .122 in the series.

It almost came a day sooner. In Game 4 the Rays staged a comeback in the 12th inning, scoring two runs to win 4-3 and force Game 5. That delay stretched the wait for a team on the brink, but the Brewers closed it out.

The celebration reached across the country. Thousands of Brewers fans filled Tropicana Field and turned it into a home away from home. In Milwaukee, 31,000 fans packed American Family Field to watch the game on the scoreboard from 1,200 miles away. The final out came at 10:13 p.m. in Milwaukee.

The result is also a story about baseball's economics. The Brewers play in the smallest market in the majors, and their win comes while owners push for a salary cap, arguing that small-market teams can't succeed regularly. Whatever that debate brings, the title belongs to a team and a state that waited a long time.

For Tampa Bay, the wait goes on. The Rays remain among the few franchises that have never won a World Series.