ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For most teams, the phrase “pass the baton” is a cliche. For the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s a way of life.
The relentless Brewers scored a World Series record eight two-out runs during a fifth-inning rally in Game 3 to bury the Tampa Bay Rays in a 10-1 win on Monday night. With the rout, the Brewers seized a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic and moved one victory away from the first championship in franchise history.
After the game though, everyone on the Brewers was taking great pains to keep the cart behind the horse. Three wins is not four.
The guys play hard, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy
“The guys play hard,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “They don’t give in. They make every pitch count, and that’s what it takes to win.
“That’s the same thing that Tampa did all year. That team is very, very capable. This is a best-of-seven series. It looks like we’re in the driver’s seat, but it’s baseball. Anything can happen.”
The rally that put the Brewers firmly in the driver’s seat began against former Brewer Freddy Peralta, who gave way to lefty Cam Booser during the 25-minute frame with the bases loaded and two down. Brice Turang worked the count, then rapped a sharp grounder that ticked off the glove of Rays shortstop Taylor Walls for a two-run single. From there, the Brewers were literally off and running.
He had a great at-bat and made
“He had a great at-bat and made it count,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “He kind of got the whole thing started right there.”
The Brewers strung together seven straight hits at one point and, in classic 2026 Milwaukee fashion, they rolled up the eight-spot without the benefit of a home run. The Brewers have outscored the Rays 18-7 in the series while going deep just once.
Instead of the longball, the Brewers have continued the same grinding style of team offense that helped them to an MLB-high 103 wins during the regular season, not to mention a 10-1 start to the playoffs. The seven straight two-out hits established a new postseason record.
They’re just fighters, and they fight and they
“They’re just fighters, and they fight and they never stop,” Brewers hitting coach Dan Vogelbach said. “They never feel like they’re out of it, whether they’re up or they’re down. That’s just what they do.”
Jackson Chourio led the offense with four hits, and William Contreras added three, raising his total to 18 for this postseason, the most in Milwaukee playoff history. It was a perfect night for the Brewers, capped by a ninth-inning appearance by beloved veteran Brandon Woodruff, who got the last three outs.
Woodruff, 33, is the longest-tenured Brewer and made his first game appearance since hurting his shoulder on July 4 after completing an unlikely comeback from the injury.
We’ve had a lot of playoff games,
“We’ve had a lot of playoff games, and I haven’t been able to participate in one since (2021),” Woodruff said. “What better way to make your re-debut in the playoffs than in the World Series?”
In Game 4, the Brewers will seek to join the 1976 Cincinnati Reds of “Big Red Machine” fame as the only teams to sweep both the LCS and the World Series. Milwaukee would become first to do it since the LCS went to a best-of-7 format in 1985.
Lost in the shuffle of Milwaukee’s offensive onslaught was another terrific outing from rookie lefty Robert Gasser. Gasser held the Rays to a lone hit over six shutout innings, lowing his postseason ERA to 0.60 over 15 innings. He faced the minimum in the contest, becoming the first lefty to face the minimum over at least six innings of a World Series game since Sandy Koufax in 1965.
He’s unbelievable, Woodruff said, then invoking Gasser’s nickname
“He’s unbelievable,” Woodruff said, then invoking Gasser’s nickname. “Bobby Gas has been incredible the last month of the season into this playoffs. You can’t say enough about what he’s done.”
History is very much on the Brewers’ side, even if no one in their clubhouse is willing to admit that anything exists beyond the next game. Over 121 World Series before this one, 25 teams have taken a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic. All of them have gone on to win the title. Twenty-one times, the series ended in a sweep.
For the Rays, who were playing their first home World Series game since 2008, it’s starting to feel like they’ve run into the proverbial buzzsaw.
I assure you 100% that we want
“I assure you 100% that we want to give the best of each of us,” Rays third baseman Junior Caminero said through an interpreter. “But they’re just playing better and things are going their way.”
The atmosphere at Tropicana Field was colored by a large contingent of Brewers fans who descended upon the Tampa Bay area for the game. During introductions and at times during the contest, especially during the big fifth inning, it was hard to tell which team was playing at home.
“That was awesome,” Yelich said. “I just got in from off the field. Not one of them left. They were really loud tonight from batting practice on throughout the game.”
If history holds, Tuesday night’s Game 4 could
If history holds, Tuesday night’s Game 4 could mark the end of the 56-year wait those fans have endured waiting for their team’s first World Series triumph. For the players, all that can wait. All that matters is keeping the same relentless focus that has gotten them this far.
“We’re focused on winning tomorrow,” Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick said. “We’re going to treat it like a Game 7. We obviously know that one more win can get us a nice trophy, but it’s really just win every pitch, every inning, every at-bat. That’s what’s kind of what got us here.”
