Brewers reporter describes steady clubhouse after Rays force World Series Game 5
Sophia Minnaert said Milwaukee’s players treated their extra-inning defeat as another challenge. The Brewers still held a 3-1 series lead ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Milwaukee Brewers reporter Sophia Minnaert described the team’s clubhouse as steady on Wednesday, October 28, after the Tampa Bay Rays beat Milwaukee 4-3 in 12 innings at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, the previous night. The defeat denied the Brewers a World Series sweep, but they still led the best-of-seven series 3-1 heading into Game 5.
Speaking on MLB Central from Tropicana Field, Minnaert said the clubhouse’s manner was consistent through winning and losing streaks. “You could go into that clubhouse any day. You wouldn't know if they've won four in a row, lost four in a row,” she said in a clip shared by MLB Network and reported by ClutchPoints. Her account described players collectively; she did not identify individual speakers.
Minnaert called Tuesday’s defeat a “gut punch” and said players had treated it as part of the challenge they had accepted. She relayed their view as: “We knew this wasn't going to be handed to us.” The description came from her account of the clubhouse, rather than individual statements attributed to named players.
How the Rays kept the World Series alive
Cooper Pratt put Milwaukee ahead 3-2 with a home run off Ian Seymour in the top of the 12th inning. It was Pratt’s fourth hit of Game 4, and the Brewers were close to securing their first championship before Tampa Bay scored twice in the bottom half, according to the Guardian’s game account.
Chandler Simpson’s single loaded the bases as Milwaukee deployed a five-man infield. Ben Williamson then hit a chopper past first baseman Jake Bauers and into right field for the run-scoring single that completed Tampa Bay’s walk-off victory. Williamson had entered that at-bat with one hit in 15 postseason attempts, the Guardian reported.
The loss ended Milwaukee’s eight-game winning streak. The Brewers had won the first three games of the World Series, including a 10-1 victory in Game 3, and remained one win from the title. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, became the fifth of 26 World Series teams to fall behind 3-0 and then win Game 4; the previous four all lost Game 5, according to the Guardian.
Game 5 at Tropicana Field
Game 5 was scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, at Tropicana Field, with Jacob Misiorowski set to start for Milwaukee. Rays manager Kevin Cash said he had not yet decided on a starter, the Guardian reported. A Tampa Bay win would send the series back to Milwaukee for Game 6 on Friday; a Brewers win would secure their first World Series championship.
Read in depth: Sports
Rays face payroll and rotation questions after World Series loss to Brewers
Tampa Bay’s 98-win season ended in five World Series games. Its new ownership group faces questions about spending and retaining a rotation that helped carry the club to the...
Lamar Jackson practices fully as Ravens assess his return for Bills game
The quarterback’s full participation on Wednesday gave Baltimore reason for optimism, but coach Jesse Minter said the team would assess how he responds before Sunday’s game in...
Sources and context
- Brewers locker room ‘even’ after 12th inning Game 4 loss to RaysClutchPoints, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Rays battle from brink in 12th inning to stun Brewers and stave off World Series sweepThe Guardian (agency report; agency not identified in retrieved text)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.