Brewers rally from 4-0 down to beat Rays 5-4, lead World Series 2-0
Sal Frelick's game-tying home run and rookie Cooper Pratt's seventh-inning single completed Milwaukee's comeback in Game 2, putting the Brewers two wins from their first World Series title.
At a glance
- The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2 of the 2026 World Series on Saturday, October 24, in Milwaukee, and lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.
- Tampa Bay scored four runs in the first inning, including a two-run home run by Liam Hicks, the first homer of the Series.
- Milwaukee answered with five unanswered runs: two in the first, one in the fourth on an error, Sal Frelick's tying solo homer in the sixth and Cooper Pratt's go-ahead single in the seventh.
- Five Brewers relievers threw six scoreless innings; Aaron Ashby struck out Yandy Diaz with the tying run on third to end the game.
- Game 3 is on Monday, October 26, at 8 pm Eastern in St. Petersburg (5 am Tuesday in Pakistan).
The Milwaukee Brewers came back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2 of the 2026 World Series on Saturday night, October 24, at American Family Field, and now lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Sal Frelick tied the game with a sixth-inning home run, rookie Cooper Pratt singled home the winning run in the seventh, and the Milwaukee bullpen did not allow a run over the final six innings.
The Brewers are now two wins away from the first World Series title in their history. The series moves to Florida for Game 3 on Monday.
How the game unfolded
Tampa Bay could hardly have started better. Facing Brewers rookie starter Logan Henderson, Chandler Simpson's ground-ball single scored Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero added an RBI single and Liam Hicks then hit a two-run home run to right-centre field, about 411 feet. It was the first home run of the Series and made it 4-0 before Milwaukee had batted.
The Brewers answered immediately against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen. William Contreras drove in Jackson Chourio with a single up the middle on a hit-and-run, and Garrett Mitchell's two-out single to right cut the lead to 4-2.
In the fourth, Pratt scored when a David Hamilton ground ball went through first baseman Jonathan Aranda for an error, making it 4-3. Rasmussen left after 3 2/3 innings and 89 pitches, one of his shortest outings in months.
Frelick tied the game in the sixth with a solo home run to centre field, his first homer in about three months and a rare one against left-handed pitching. In the seventh, Brice Turang doubled and Pratt lined an opposite-field single to bring him home for a 5-4 lead.
| Inning | Rays | Brewers | Score after inning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Simpson RBI single, Caminero RBI single, Hicks two-run HR | Contreras RBI single, Mitchell RBI single | Rays 4-2 |
| 4th | — | Pratt scores on Aranda error | Rays 4-3 |
| 6th | — | Frelick solo HR | 4-4 |
| 7th | — | Pratt RBI single (Turang scores) | Brewers 5-4 |
| Final | 4 | 5 | Brewers lead series 2-0 |
Bullpen and defence close it out
After Henderson's three innings, five relievers held the Rays scoreless. Tampa Bay threatened more than once. In the sixth, Hicks was sent home on a single and was thrown out by a wide margin by a Chourio throw from the outfield; the Rays challenged, arguing the plate had been blocked, but the call stood. In the eighth, Chourio was himself called out at home on a collision play for Milwaukee, and that call was confirmed on review too.
The ninth belonged to left-hander Aaron Ashby. With the tying run on third base, he got Diaz to chase on a check swing for strike three to end the game.
Background: a series of first-time hopefuls
Neither franchise has ever won a World Series, so 2026 will produce a first-time champion. Milwaukee reached the Fall Classic by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, a run that included another comeback from 4-0 down in the deciding Game 4. Saturday's rally was the Brewers' seventh comeback win of this postseason.
The Rays won the American League pennant by beating the Cleveland Guardians, largely by pressuring opponents into mistakes. On Saturday the roles were reversed: Tampa Bay made an error that led to a run and had a runner thrown out at the plate.
Game 1 on Friday was also tight. Milwaukee won it 3-2 after a replay overturned what looked like a game-ending double play in the ninth.
Reactions
The home crowd in Milwaukee, including fans who gathered outside the ballpark without tickets, celebrated a second straight one-run win. For the Rays, the night was a reminder of how small the margins are: two plays at the plate and one error decided a game they had led by four runs.
Why it matters
History favours Milwaukee. Of the 55 previous teams to win the first two games of a World Series, about 80 percent went on to lift the trophy. But the Rays now go home, where they will have the last at-bat for up to three games, and they have shown in this postseason that they can win close games.
What happens next
| Game | Date (US) | Venue | Pakistan time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 3 | Monday, October 26, 8 pm ET | St. Petersburg, Florida | Tuesday, October 27, 5 am |
| Games 4 and 5* | Following days | St. Petersburg, Florida | Early morning in Pakistan |
*Game 5 only if necessary. Robert Gasser is listed to start Game 3 for Milwaukee and Freddy Peralta for Tampa Bay. Games 6 and 7, if needed, would return to Milwaukee. Game 3 is shown on FOX in the United States.
Questions people are asking
Who won Game 2 of the 2026 World Series?
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2 on October 24, 2026, in Milwaukee, after trailing 4-0 in the first inning. Milwaukee leads the series 2-0.
When is World Series Game 3 between the Brewers and Rays?
Game 3 is on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 8 pm Eastern time at the Rays' home ballpark in St. Petersburg, Florida, which is 5 am on Tuesday, October 27, in Pakistan. Robert Gasser is listed to start for Milwaukee and Freddy Peralta for Tampa Bay.
How often do teams win the World Series after leading 2-0?
Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series have gone on to win the title about 80 percent of the time. It has happened 55 times before 2026.
