Brewers clinch title with Misiorowski's 11th inning exit

Jacob Misiorowski left the pitcher's mound at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a right leg cramp, ending a postseason run that has already reshaped the conversation around the National League Cy Young Award. The Milwaukee Brewers ace, 24 years old, had just thrown 5 2/3 innings in the fifth and final game of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed two hits and one walk while recording two strikeouts, leaving the game after a long consultation with the training staff.

Misiorowski started both the first and last games of the series, a rare burden for a second-year major leaguer. Over 10 2/3 total innings, he surrendered just one run on six hits. He led the majors in strikeouts this season with 252, but his command struggled high in the zone during the playoffs. To compensate, he limited walks and induced 10 flyball outs, several of them deep, despite footing issues on the landing spot of the mound.

"Obviously, I don't want to go out that way, but I left everything on the table, so, so be it," Misiorowski said after the win.

The Rays' rotation was stretched thin. Drew Rasmussen, who had just flown home after the Rays won Game 4 in 12 innings, received a call in the early morning hours of Wednesday. He was asked to start on three days' rest, a first for him as a starter. He threw 36 of 48 pitches for strikes, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts in four innings. Rays manager Kevin Cash praised the move, calling Rasmussen a stud and noting the team stuck to a 60-pitch or four-inning limit.

Cooper Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie shortstop, set a record for a rookie in a World Series by collecting hits in six consecutive at-bats. He followed a four-hit night in Game 4 with two hits and two RBIs in the finale. Pratt, who debuted only four months ago, received champagne from Hall of Famer Robin Yount. "I haven't even had four hits in a game in a long time, and I got that yesterday," Pratt said. "Somebody said it's some kind of record, so that's cool."

The Brewers finished the postseason with an 11-2 record, becoming the fourth consecutive team to win the World Series on the road. Their last losing streak occurred on Sept. 5 and 6 against Cincinnati. Second baseman Brice Turang dismissed the notion that the streak was surprising. "No. We're that good. It's expected," he said.

The Rays ended the series with a 2-1 record in five starts and a 2.20 ERA. No team has previously forced a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0 in the World Series.