The Milwaukee Brewers went from being on the brink of baseball greatness to wondering where it all went wrong. Milwaukee was just three outs away from winning the 2026 World Series, up by one run coming into the bottom of the 12th inning. However, the team crumbled in that inning, ceding two runs to the Tampa Bay Rays.
As a result, the World Series is extended by at least one more game in Tampa Bay. The Brewers now have the infamy of having one of the most brutal meltdowns in World Series history, as OptaSTATS noted on X.
“The Brewers are the first team ever to have the lead and be 3 outs away from a World Series title and lose the game without getting any of those 3 outs,” the post read.
Shane Drohan got the ball in the 12th inning for the Brewers after a fielding error, and he was tasked with closing out the Rays on the road. The lefty had not pitched in twelve games prior to this outing. However, the left-on-left matchup was too good to pass up. Milwaukee was also running out of relievers to send out.
Article Continues BelowDrohan's second postseason appearance couldn't have gone worse. He allowed four hits in the final inning of the game, allowing the Rays to rally for the win. It was a brutal outing for the Brewers, who were just an inning away from claiming their first World Series win in franchise history.
That being said, the Brewers are going to be just fine. They still hold a 3-1 series lead, and the final two games of the series (if it comes to that) will be played on their home turf. Milwaukee isn't letting the series be decided there, though, as they're sending out ace Jacob Misiorowski as their starter for Game 5 to finish off the Rays for good.