ST. PETERSBURG -- Just win today.
That was the Rays’ mentality heading into World Series Game 4 against the Brewers. Facing the unenviable task of digging out of a 3-0 series hole, the Rays knew they could focus only on the game directly in front of them.
And after that game -- a thrilling 4-3 victory that ended on Ben Williamson's walk-off single in the 12th inning -- the Rays began preaching a familiar message:
Just win today.
Game 4 of this Fall Classic took 4 hours and 20 minutes, so when Williamson’s high chopper into right field brought home Nick Fortes with the winning run, it was nearly 12:30 a.m. ET Wednesday at the Trop. Their next game would take place later that night.
But at least there would be a next game.
“That’s beautiful baseball, man,” said reliever Ian Seymour. “A good win, and we’ll be back later tonight.”
When the Rays do return for Game 5, which arms will they have at their disposal? They couldn’t worry about that question while Tuesday’s game -- and their season -- hung in the balance, but now that they have delayed the Brewers’ championship celebrations for at least one more day, that question will need real answers.
And there aren’t many clear ones.
Tampa Bay needed seven pitchers to get through its Game 4 marathon. The most likely candidate to start Game 5 before it all began was Nick Martinez, the pitching staff’s veteran leader and the Game 1 starter. But he entered in the sixth inning Tuesday and tossed two scoreless frames to bridge the gap to closer Bryan Baker.
“Our clubhouse leader going out and doing leader-type things,” Baker said of Martinez’s effort. “I couldn't be happier for him. That was a huge spot for us, man. He provides so much stability for us, and he's had so much experience out of the bullpen as well, so it felt like it was Game 4 of the World Series, but it didn't really seem like it for him.”
Baker then entered a 2-2 game in the eighth inning. As he was making his first appearance of this Fall Classic, the All-Star closer knew that a two-inning outing may be in his future. But getting six outs wasn’t something he had done in more than two years -- July 9, 2024, as a member of the Orioles. Undaunted, he put up two zeros on 21 pitches in his first action in seven days.
“You get out in front of these fans, a packed-out Trop, and the adrenaline kind of takes over,” Baker said. “So I'm feeling really good right now.”
Baker said he feels good enough to be used in any scenario Wednesday. Lefty Cam Booser also said he’d be available despite working for a second consecutive night. After allowing four runs and getting no outs during Tampa Bay’s 10-1 loss in Game 3, Booser redeemed himself by striking out Sal Frelick to end the top of the 11th.
That led to Seymour -- another possible option to start Game 5 -- getting the ball for the 12th inning. He allowed his fourth homer in nine postseason innings, a solo shot to Cooper Pratt that briefly put Tampa Bay’s season on the cliff’s edge. However, the Rays saved him from any ignominy with a 12th-inning rally in which all five batters who came to the plate reached base.
Does he have enough left in the tank to contribute in another elimination game Wednesday?
“That's never a question,” Seymour said.
The game plan for the Rays will be identical to what it essentially was in Game 3 and what it definitely was in Game 4: All hands on deck. Manager Kevin Cash did not name a starting pitcher in the aftermath of what took place to keep his team in the fight for another day. Whoever gets the call will be going up against presumed National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski, so the Brewers will have the advantage no matter who Tampa Bay chooses.
The Brewers already have the series advantage. They had the advantage momentarily in the 12th inning Tuesday. The Rays still face extremely long odds to win their first World Series.
But thanks to the efforts of many hurlers, their odds are slightly better heading into what awaits them -- later today.
“No one expected us to get here,” said Game 4 starter Griffin Jax. “We had a 1% chance, according to a lot of writers, to make it to the World Series, and we had a 5% chance going into tonight to win the World Series. So by those odds, we had a five-times better chance to win the World Series, so I like our chances.”