World Series 2026, Game 4: the Rays win 4–3 in 12 innings, the Brewers lead 3–1 – how extra innings work in baseball
Three outs from defeat, a rookie's home run in the 12th, then a pinch-hitter's ball into right field. Of 26 teams down 0–3, five have won Game 4 – the numbers and the rules in plain words, without betting advice.
On Tuesday night, 27 October 2026 (US time), the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4–3 in 12 innings in Game 4 of the World Series, the final of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Rays thus avoided being swept; the Brewers lead the best-of-seven series 3–1. This article summarises the game, the historical numbers and the rules of extra innings. It does not predict a result.
| Fact sheet | |
|---|---|
| Game | World Series 2026, Game 4 |
| Result | Rays–Brewers 4–3, 12 innings |
| Venue | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg (Florida) |
| Attendance | 40,514 |
| Series | Brewers–Rays 3–1 |
| Earlier games | 3–2, 5–4, 10–1 to the Brewers |
| Game 5 | Wednesday, 8 p.m. US Eastern = 1 a.m. Thursday in Central Europe (this article's conversion) |
Sources: MLB.com, 28 Oct, NBC Chicago, 28 Oct, ESPN (earlier results).
How the game went
According to MLB.com, in the second inning Jonny DeLuca scored from first on Chandler Simpson's double, 1–0 Rays. According to NBC Chicago's report, the Brewers tied it in the fourth on Cooper Pratt's double, the Rays went ahead again after a fielding error, and David Hamilton homered for the Brewers. After nine regulation innings the game was tied.
Top of the 12th. Cooper Pratt, the Brewers' 22-year-old rookie shortstop, hit a solo home run to put Milwaukee ahead 3–2. According to NBC Chicago, he is the first rookie to hit an extra-inning home run in a World Series.
Bottom of the 12th. The Rays reached base on an error, Jonny DeLuca's single tied it, and Chandler Simpson's single loaded the bases. The Brewers used a five-man infield. Pinch-hitter Ben Williamson – 1-for-15 in the postseason – put the ball into right field, and the winning run scored.
The sources differ on one detail: MLB.com and NBC Chicago name different pinch-runners for the tying and winning runs, so this article does not name them.
How extra innings work
There are no ties in baseball. If the score is level after nine innings, more innings are played until one team is ahead at the end of a complete inning. If the home team takes the lead in the bottom half of an inning, the game ends at once: a walk-off win.
A few concepts:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Home run | the ball leaves the field of play and the batter circles the bases |
| Double | the batter reaches second base |
| Pinch hitter | a substitute who comes in for one at-bat |
| Pinch runner | a substitute who replaces a teammate on base |
| Five-man infield | a special alignment that brings an outfielder into the infield |
The historical numbers
According to NBC Chicago:
- the Rays are the fifth of 26 teams down 0–3 in a World Series to win Game 4; the previous four all lost Game 5;
- in best-of-seven postseason series, 43 teams have trailed 0–3, and only the 2004 Boston Red Sox came back.
According to MLB.com, there have been 16 walk-off wins in World Series history by a team facing elimination, 13 of them in extra innings. The last team to do so while facing a sweep was the 1910 Cubs.
These are past frequencies; they do not determine the next game, and this article draws no conclusion from them.
5 things many people don't know
- The Brewers' eight-game run ended. They had won eight straight postseason games.
- Nobody has won nine straight postseason games. According to MLB.com, this would have been the first time.
- Pratt has decided games before. His hit also produced the winning run in Game 2.
- Jackson Chourio is 10-for-20. The Brewers outfielder reached that in the World Series, according to NBC Chicago.
- Game 5 is the Rays' last home game of the season. According to MLB.com, it is the Rays' last home game of 2026; if the series continues, any further games will not be in St. Petersburg.
Summary
- Rays–Brewers 4–3, 12 innings; the series is 3–1 to the Brewers.
- Pratt's home run in the 12th, Williamson's walk-off hit in the bottom half.
- Of 26 teams down 0–3, five have won Game 4.
- Game 5: Wednesday night, St. Petersburg (1 a.m. Thursday in Central Europe).
Related reading: World Series 2026: the Brewers win the title · Blog archive.
Educational content. This article is not betting advice and does not predict a result. Data Analytic Investments is not affiliated with MLB, the teams or the portals cited; team names are used for identification only. Images labelled "AI illustration" are not photographs.
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