Brewers rally from 4-0 down to beat Rays 5-4 and take 2-0 World Series lead

The Milwaukee Brewers went 4-0 down in the first inning of World Series Game 2 and still won. They beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 at American Family Field on Saturday night to lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. Sal Frelick hit a solo home run to tie the game, and shortstop Cooper Pratt singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh. The Brewers had won Game 1 on Friday by 3-2.

Rays strike first, and hard

Tampa Bay had not led at any point in the series, and they fixed that within a few batters. Chandler Simpson drove in the first run, Junior Caminero added another with a hit, and catcher Liam Hicks hit a home run for a 4-0 lead against Milwaukee rookie starter Logan Henderson. With ace Drew Rasmussen on the mound, the Rays looked set to level the series. Rasmussen came into the game unbeaten in the postseason with a 1.29 ERA.

Milwaukee chip away

The Brewers started their comeback straight away. In the bottom of the first, William Contreras drove in a run and Garrett Mitchell added another to cut it to 4-2. David Hamilton's RBI in the fourth made it 4-3. Contreras also helped behind the plate. In the sixth he threw out a Rays runner at home to end the inning and keep the deficit at one.

Then Frelick tied it at 4-4. It was his first home run in roughly three months. In the seventh, Pratt's single put Milwaukee ahead for the first time all night. The bullpen held on from there. Tampa Bay were also let down by their fielding: they made one official error, misplayed two other balls that could have been ruled errors, and had a runner thrown out at the plate.

A familiar script for the Brewers

Associated Press figures say this was Milwaukee's seventh comeback win of this postseason. It was also the second time they have come back from four runs down. The first was the 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLCS, which finished a four-game sweep. The Rays reached the World Series by beating the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 in the ALCS. In that series they trailed 2-1 and won the last three games.

Game 1 on Friday was also decided by a single run. Milwaukee held on to win 3-2 after a ninth-inning double play was overturned on review. Jacob Misiorowski got the win, Trevor Megill earned the save and Nick Martinez took the loss.

Series heads to Tampa Bay

The series now moves to Tampa Bay for up to three games. Game 3 is on Monday 26 October at 8pm ET, which is 8am on Tuesday 27 October in Malaysia. Game 4 follows on Tuesday night US time. If needed, Game 5 is on Wednesday. Games 6 and 7, if required, would be back in Milwaukee on 30 and 31 October. The Brewers are two wins away from the franchise's first World Series title. The Rays have never won one either.

Key takeaways

• The Brewers beat the Rays 5-4 in Game 2 and lead the World Series 2-0.
• Tampa Bay scored four in the first, including a Liam Hicks home run, but did not score again.
• Sal Frelick's homer tied the game and Cooper Pratt's seventh-inning single won it.
• This was Milwaukee's seventh comeback win of the 2026 postseason.
• Game 3 is in Tampa Bay on Monday at 8pm ET (8am Tuesday, Malaysia time).

FAQ

What was the score in World Series Game 2? The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 after trailing 4-0 in the first inning.

What is the World Series series score? Milwaukee lead 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. They also won Game 1, 3-2.

When is Game 3 in Malaysia time? Game 3 starts at 8pm ET on Monday 26 October, which is 8am on Tuesday 27 October in Malaysia.

Sources: Associated Press, WISN, MLB.com, Fox Sports, Yahoo Sports