World Series Game Four: Hold Everything

In the National Hockey League, the Vancouver Canucks and the Buffalo Sabres share the unfortunate burden of having the longest wait for their first championship. Both teams debuted in 1970, three years after the 1967 expansion, but they have never won the Stanley Cup. In the National Basketball Association, it's the Phoenix Suns--they've never won the NBA Championship, and they are currently in their 59th season of play. In the National Football League, it's the Atlanta Falcons, and they have the longest such drought in sports. The Falcons' first season was 1966, which was the first ever Super Bowl season, but they have yet to win the big one as they are in the midst of their 61st season.

As for Major League Baseball, two teams share this distinction. The San Diego Padres are one of them. The other: the Milwaukee Brewers. Both teams debuted in 1969, but while the Padres' 58th season ended with the team still empty-handed, the Brewers entered this day just one win away from their first championship. The Brewers took care of business at home in the first two games, and they routed the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Three. Now, they looked to complete the sweep and pop the champagne.

Dustin May, who was on the 2020 Dodgers team that defeated the Rays in the World Series, was on the mound for the Brewers against Griffin Jax for the Rays. As for me, I was excited. This was the first chance to see a champion crowned, the last of the four main champions in this calendar year, and I always love seeing a World Series celebration. However, it would be the Rays who started the scoring. Chandler Simpson drove in Jonny DeLuca in the 2nd inning, and that made it 1-0 for the home team. Cooper Pratt's RBI double in the fourth tied it up, but the home half of that same inning would see TB go back on top, with their run being scored via a throwing error by David Hamilton.

Hamilton would make up for it in the next inning; a game tying solo home run at that! Only the second homer for the Brewers in this series. The 2-2 score stood for the rest of regulation. Time for extra innings! For the second straight year, a potential championship clinching game went to extra innings, but the bullpen duel continued on in the 10th and 11th innings.

And in the 12th...

Cooper Pratt. Four hits in this game, but this was his biggest one. A lead-off solo shot to put the Brewers not only ahead 3-2, but also three outs away from their very first championship. I was excited! I was about to see a championship awarded here. But they still had to get those three outs. Junior Caminero, a tough out, led off the bottom of the twelfth. Grounded to third, but the throw to first was a bad one. Safe. Sean Drohan took the mound after Antonio Senzatela started the inning. Liam Hicks was up, and he singled. Caminero went to third, and the winning runs were on the corners, still no outs. Cedric Mullins, who I remember for his years with the Orioles, pinch ran for Caminero. Jonny DeLuca was up, and it was a two strike count. A strike out meant that we could see a Series clinching double play for the second straight year. Instead, DeLuca singles! Tie game.

Now, the celebration is on hold. The only question: would it be on hold until the next inning, or the next game? Nick Fortes came up to bat, and he singled, which loaded the bases, still no outs! Next up was Ben Williamson, and he only saw one pitch, and it was a walk-off RBI single!

The Rays won Game Four, 4-3, in 12 innings, to keep their hopes alive. This was only the Rays' second World Series game victory at their actual home in the Trop, joining Game Two of the 2008 Series on that very short list. This was, without question, the best game of this year's Series by far. It was back and forth, and we had extra innings, with this game needing a dozen innings to decide it! And with this win, the streak continues; this is the 14th straight Series not to end in a sweep. The last one to do so was the 2012 Fall Classic which saw the San Francisco Giants win four straight over the Detroit Tigers. This also completes the eighth straight calendar year with no sweeps in any of the best-of-seven championship series (NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Final, World Series), with the last one in any of those three series taking place in 2018 (Warriors sweeping Cavs). The Rays' win also snaps the Brewers' eight game winning streak; this is Milwaukee's first loss since Game Three of the NLDS, with both of their losses being road ones.

Game Five is Wednesday in St. Petersburg, the Rays' final home game this season. It will be take two for the Brewers, as they will look to capture their first championship, while the Rays look to give their home fans one more win and force this Series to go back to Milwaukee.

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